


Gay Witches and Mean Bitches: Femslash February 2019

by SailorPortia



Category: Little Witch Academia, やがて君になる | Yagate Kimi ni Naru | Bloom Into You (Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst, Comedy, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, Femslash, Femslash February, Femslash February 2019, Flirting, Fluff, Holding Hands, Innuendo, Kissing, Massage, Mutual Pining, Pining, Teasing, Vampire Bites, White Day, Yuri, disaster bisexuals, oblivious lesbians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2019-10-20 21:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 23,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17629607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorPortia/pseuds/SailorPortia
Summary: Femslash February 2019 prompts, baby! Get ready for gay witches fall all over themselves and each other being complete disasters.One-shots with no continuity unless otherwise stated.Diana x Akko Chapters: 1, 2, 4, 6, 11, 12, 14...Hannah x Amanda Chapters: 1, 3, 7, 11, 12, 18...Hannah x Akko Chapters: 5...Hannah x Barbara Chapters: 8, 10...Sucy x Lotte Chapters: 9, 14...Diana x Akko x Hannah x Barbara Chapters: 11...Barbara x Lotte: 13...Hannah x Amanda x Barbara: 14...Diana x Lotte: 15...Diana x Hannah x Barbara: 16...Touko x Yuu: 17





	1. Opposites Attract

Hannah smacked Amanda's legs off the coffee table. "Sit properly, you animal."

Amanda scoffed. "What kind of animal sits on a couch?"

"It would be most appreciated if you would keep your feet on the floor where they belong," Diana said curtly. Her tone implied that she didn't think Amanda belonged in her team's dorm room at all. Her team mates, Akko, and Amanda were meant to be working on their schoolwork together, but a certain someone was making it difficult for the others.

"Quit fooling around, Amanda!" Akko said. "I'm trying to study!" She and Diana sat at the desk with their backs to Amanda, Hannah, and Barbara, though that did little to mitigate the noise.

"I never thought you'd say that," Amanda said, putting her feet back on the table. "Since when have you been such a teacher's pet?"

"Since she got a beautiful teacher to be a pet to," Hannah said slyly. She and Amanda cackled. 

"Ignore them," Diana told Akko. "Your concentration would be better invested in your studies."

"But it's so confusing," Akko whined. "How does polar magic even work?"

Diana cleared her throat in preparation for a lecture. "The mechanics of polar magic are dependent on oppositional qualities in inherent magical nature, which—"

Amanda jumped in to save them all "Too long, didn't read: opposites attract."

"Oh!" Akko said perkily. "That makes sense!"

Diana shot an exasperated look at Amanda, followed by a meaningful look at Hannah, who received the message and pushed Amanda's feet off the coffee table again. Barbara suppressed a giggle.

"So opposites attract," Akko said, mulling over how the concept could be applied to polar magic. "Like, night and day?"

"Like vampires and werewolves," Barbara said, ever the _Nightfall_ fan.

"Like high-born ladies and knights-errant," Hannah said dreamily.

"Descendent of one of the Nine Olde Witches and girl from a non-witch family," Amanda said with a smirk.

"I don't follow," Diana said obliviously.

"Yeah, Amanda," Akko said. "That one's confusing."

"Let's hear little miss smarty-pants come up with a better one," Amanda said.

Diana answered almost immediately. "Blondes and brunettes."

Amanda almost fell off the couch. Hannah snorted. Barbara smothered her giggles with her hands.

"I don't understand," Diana said, frowning. "What is so humorous about..." Then she saw her and Akko's reflections in the mirror above the desk. "No! I didn't mean—" Her words devolved into a meaningless babble as her face turned redder and redder.

"So your subconscious came up with that one, you mean?" Hannah's smirk matched Amanda's.

"What are you implying!?" As if Diana didn't already know.

"What's going on?" Akko asked. "What's weird about blondes and brunettes being attracted to each other?"

That time Amanda _did_ fall off the couch. Hannah helped her back up and she put her feet up on the coffee table yet again. "You two really are quite a pair," she said, her voice weak from laughter.

Diana scowled. "Fine. Here's another example of opposites attracting: troublemaker attempted-dropout and aristocratic top student."

"You mean like Amanda and Hannah!" Akko said brightly.

"You got that one!?" Amanda groaned.

"Amanda and I aren't like that," Hannah objected. "I don't get along with her at all." As if to prove her point, Hannah yet again pushed Amanda's legs away from the coffee table.

"Is that so?" Diana smiled. "You seem awfully comfortable touching her legs..."

"B-b-but!" Hannah leaned as far away from Amanda as possible, as if that would undo Diana's comment. "You said yourself she should have her feet off the table!"

"You two have been picking at each other all afternoon," Barbara noted. "Like you're too distracted by each other to study. And Amanda's only here because Hannah invited her..."

Amanda forced a laugh. "Look at the time! I have to go do a thing in a place. See ya later!" She tried to leave, but due to the awkward placement of her feet after Hannah pushed her feet off the table, she fell into a pile on the floor.

Hannah had already gotten up to try to stop Amanda by the time Amanda hit the floor, so naturally she ended up falling onto the floor on top of Amanda, resulting in an even bigger, more embarrassed pile.

"There you go, Akko," Diana said, waving a hand at Amanda and Hannah. "Opposites attract."


	2. Shades of Pink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akko is entirely too amused with Diana's habit of blushing because of her, and Diana has mixed feelings on the subject

"Isn't she just the cutest?" Akko asked, her voice thickened with lovey-dovey, dreamy thoughts.

Neither Hannah nor Barbara had any doubts about whom she was referring to. "I don't think 'cute' is the right word for Diana," Hannah mused. "Beautiful? Gorgeous, maybe?"

"She definitely looks sexy in some outfits we've seen," Barbara said. Hannah nodded in agreement, and they both snickered when Akko shot them a jealous glare. Akko knew better than to ask about those "sexy" outfits; Hannah and Barbara didn't need any more ammo to tease her with.

"No, Diana's definitely cute," Akko insisted. "Just watch."

Diana, who had been busy doing a favour for Professor Finnelan, joined Akko and her team mates at their table in the cafeteria. Hannah and Barbara nibbled at their lunches as they waited for Akko to prove her point. Akko had set her lunch aside and did nothing but stare lovingly at her girlfriend.

"Akko, would it be too much for me to ask you not to stare at me like that?" Diana asked.

"Like what?" Akko batted her eyelashes. At least, she tried to. It was harder than it looked in the movies.

"Like... that..." Diana looked away, but not before Akko saw hints of pink rising in her cheeks.

Akko giggled. "What did I tell you? Diana's cute."

"Akko!" Diana would've reprimanded her girlfriend further, but she swallowed her words after the round of giggles that followed her outburst. Ever since the two of them started dating, Akko had become even more affectionate (which Diana hadn't thought was possible) and just a little bit _cheeky_. Apparently Akko found it amusing that even Diana Cavendish was susceptible to the human physiological response of blushing.

 _I most certainly am not cute,_ Diana thought as she stabbed at her lunch with her fork and knife. _I am a refined lady. I am elegant and dignified. I am not "cute." What's so cute about blushing anyway. As if blushing would be enough to make me cute..._

"Wow, she's getting even pinker," Hannah said.

"She must be having quite the train of thought," Barbara said.

 _I wonder if it's too late for me to ask for different roommates,_ Diana thought.

Lunch ended and Diana was eager to return to class and escape the teasing of her friends. Her girlfriend, however, had other ideas. Akko clung to Diana's arm in a most undignified way, sending a fresh wave of heat across her face.

Akko giggled. "You're looking a little pink, Diana. Are you sure you're okay? Maybe I should take you to the nurse's office for a little quiet time?" She winked suggestively.

"Akko! That's terribly inappropriate!" Diana's blush intensified.

"C'mon, Diana! There's nothing wrong with skipping class every once in a while to hang out."

"Oh," Diana said quietly. "That's what you meant..." Diana quickened her pace in a vain attempt to escape to the classroom before Akko figured her out.

"What did you think I—" Akko grinned devilishly. "Ohohoho! Diana! You've been reading too many spicy yuri manga!"

The pinkness in Diana's face spread to her ears and her neck, and probably the rest of her body. Words failed her, so she broke off from Akko and fled to an unused classroom. Naturally, Akko followed her and sat down next to her at the back of the room.

"I'm sorry for getting you all flustered," Akko said.

"I-I-I'm not flustered," Diana objected.

"Is that your natural shade of pink, then?" Akko teased. She touched Diana's flushed skin. "I mean, you are usually this hot..."

Diana pushed Akko's hand away. "And here I thought I was supposed to be 'cute,'" Diana said, pouting.

"You are cute," Akko insisted. "Just look at you, getting shy because your girlfriend is showing you some love."

"No, Akko," Diana said. "You're the one who is cute. I am simply... difficult. I find it overwhelming that a girl as wonderful and as captivating as yourself is taken with me, and my reactions to your affection must be troublesome to deal with."

Akko wiggled happily at her girlfriend's compliments. "Gosh, you're going to make me blush too."

Then she turned serious. "Do you not like it when I do that kind of thing? When I get close to you, or when I call you cute?"

"I don't dislike it, per se..." Diana felt a fresh burst of heat surge through her body. She cursed her biology and continued. "Though... I would appreciate if you wouldn't tease me so."

"So... you don't want me to gush about how cute you are when you blush?"

Diana sniffed. "Yes. That."

Akko laughed. "Okay, okay. I'll cut it out." She huddled closer to her girlfriend. "Diana, can I hold your hand?"

Diana imagined her face must've been pinker than ever. "Yes, you may."

Their hands intertwined and Diana felt oddly calm, reassured. Akko gave her a hand a gentle squeeze.

"Diana... can I kiss you?"

"I... I s-suppose so..."

Akko leaned in and pecked Diana on the lips. It was over before she knew what happened. If she had been overwhelmed by Akko's displays of affection before, the sensation of Akko's soft, pink lips pressed against hers just about sent her over the edge. Diana tried to capture Akko's lips in another kiss, to prolong the feeling, but Akko had drawn back too early and too quickly.

Diana's attempt was not lost on Akko.

"Hungry for more, huh?" She grinned. "Maybe I should take you up on that offer of a naughty encounter in the nurse's office after all." 

Diana's colour went from a flustered pink to an indignant red. "AKKO!"


	3. Lost, In More Ways Than One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amanda and Hannah get lost in the woods together during a test of courage. What kind of exciting things might happen deep in the woods under the cover of night?

"Admit it," Hannah said, "we're lost."

"That's such a cliché line," Amanda retorted. "No imagination. Can't you spice it up a little?"

"How about this," Hannah said. "We're so far in these woods that the cops will never find your body after I bury you alive for getting us in this mess!"

"Ooh, a death threat," Amanda said, unfazed. "Very nice. But I know for a fact you'd never go to the trouble of digging a grave yourself. Too much dirt involved."

"Oh, I don't know. I might get my hands dirty just for you."

"That's dangerously close to flirting, Miss England."

Despite Amanda's bravado, Hannah was right: they were desperately, hopelessly lost. Who knew the woods around Luna Nova were so treacherous? It didn't help that it was pitch-black, even-the-moon-ain't-showin'-up dark outside. Amanda and Hannah only had themselves to blame. In one of their seemingly constant arguments they ended up challenging each other to a test of courage: journey deep into the woods at night and back out again together—running away meant an automatic loss. The plan had been to touch a particularly recognizable tree stump and then turn back... but they couldn't find the stump. 

"How did you even get us this lost?" Hannah groaned. "All you had to do was walk in a straight line in and out!"

"You know me better than that," Amanda said. "I can't do anything straight. That's more your responsibility."

"If we relied on me, I'd have us walking in two different lines at the same time," Hannah replied.

"Right, right." Amanda said. She was still trying to get used to the fact that Hannah was bi. Not that there was anything to get used to. It's not like she had a reason to be acting differently around Hannah or anything. Knowing that Hannah was technically available to date didn't mean anything to her. Not that Hannah being bi meant that she was automatically available for Amanda to date. For all Amanda knew, Hannah wasn't even into Amanda's type. Not that Amanda had any interest in dating Hannah. Nope. Not at all. She definitely didn't spend any time thinking about that possibility.

"Are you listening to me, Amanda?" Hannah was almost yelling. "I said we should stay put until we figure out how to get out of here."

"Oh." Amanda was grateful the cover of darkness that would conceal her blush. _What am I doing, get all lost in thought over Hannah,_ she berated herself. She plonked down on a fallen log and patted the spot next to her, inviting Hannah to join her.

"I'll pass," Hannah said. "Goodness knows what's on that log."

"Suit yourself. Any ideas how to get out of here, bossy pants?"

"One comes to mind," Hannah said. "How are your marks in astronomy class?"

"Dismal," Amanda answered. "Wait, abysmal. Which is worse?"

Hannah rolled her eyes. She should've known better. "Good thing one of us pays attention in class instead of making paper airplanes out of her worksheets."

"Sneer all you like, but when the Royal Paper Air Force hires me as it's top pilot and gives me tons of medals, you'll sooo jealous."

Hannah laughed, despite her annoyance with Amanda. "Royal, eh? Not American? You plan on staying in the UK?"

Amanda shrugged. "Well, England has its appeals." And wasn't that just the Freudian slip of the century.

Hannah coughed and shuffled awkwardly. And told herself not to read too much into that statement. "Um, anyway. We can figure out which direction we need to walk by using the stars."

"Just like sailors," Amanda said.

"Yeah. How did you know that?"

"I wanted to be a pirate when I was younger. Well, I kinda still do."

"Somehow I'm not surprised," Hannah said. "Give me a minute to check out the constellations and I'll be able to point us in the right direction."

"Thank fuck I'm stuck in the woods with you," Amanda said. "I mean—with an egghead like you." _Nice save,_ she thought. _What is wrong with me tonight?_

It's not like Hannah was anything worth getting worked up about, or so Amanda told herself as she looked over her companion. _She's so pale she practically glows in the dark, so who even cares that her skin is flawless? And her hair looks so dorky in that ponytail, it would look so much better if she let it down. And her attitude is almost as bad as mine, we're practically evenly matched._ Then Amanda realized that even her insults were failing her. _What's the opposite of a backhanded compliment?_

Hannah clapped her hands together, startling Amanda. "I've got it. We went north and drifted east, so we just need to follow that star, going south-west."

"If you say so." Amanda hopped off the log and went to Hannah's side. "Lead the way, Magellan."

Hannah shifted awkwardly again. "Francis Drake would be a better reference," she said. "He was an English explorer. And a pirate."

"Do tell."

Whereas the journey into the forest was made in awkward silence punctuated by barbed comments, on the way back Hannah entertained Amanda with the exploits of Sir Francis Drake: his circumnavigation of the globe, his piracy in the Caribbean, his efforts against the Spanish Armada. Hannah grew more animated as the story went on, seemingly encouraged by Amanda's interest increased. Everything was going swimmingly.

Until they encountered complications.

Hannah stopped dead in her tracks. "My foot is stuck."

A tree root had ensnared Hannah. Quite intentionally, seeing as it was one of the mischievous mandrake trees that enjoyed trolling humans who wandered the forest. It was bad enough that they'd made hideous wailing sounds at the pair all night, now this?

"Frickin' mandrakes," Hannah said. "Can you hold your wand light down by my foot?"

"Why?" Amanda was feeling particularly self-conscious around Hannah and didn't want to get that close to her bare legs; the wand light would make it impossible for Hannah to miss the way Amanda had been looking at her all night.

"I can't use magic to coax the root off me and hold the light at the same time," Hannah said.

"What's the problem? I thought all bisexuals could dual-wield. Isn't that one of your class features?"

"Ha ha, very funny." In any other situation Hannah might've laughed for real. "I need my other hand to pull the root off my foot once I've charmed it. Get on your knees and help me out here."

Amanda felt a surge of _feelings_ she didn't have time (namely private time) to address. She did as she was told and held her wand light near Hannah's trapped foot. Hannah kneeled down as well and used a spell to relax the root. As it loosened, Hannah tugged it away with her free hand.

Amanda didn't pay much attention to this process; she was far too distracted by her proximity to totally-not-worth-getting-worked-up-over Hannah. As she weren't so distracted, she might've noticed Hannah's hands trembling for similar reasons.

Hannah freed her foot and both girls stood up _very_ quickly, eager to put some distance between them. They continued their walk in silence.

Until their next complication.

Their wand lights disappeared, snuffed out like a candle flame.

"What the hell?" Amanda yelled. "What now!?"

"We must be near a forest dragon nest," Hannah explained. "Dragons absorb magic energy, that must be why our wand lights went out."

"Thanks for the lecture, doc, but how are we going to find our way back now?"

"Slowly." Hannah was too nervous to say the next part, so she locked arms with Amanda without saying a word.

Big mistake.

"What are you doing!?" Amanda did _not_ need this kind of pressure right now.

"We can't see anything without our wand lights!" Hannah said, her voice shrill all of a sudden. "If we're not careful, we'll get lost. We need to stick together."

"D-Do we need to stick this close?" It was important for Amanda to know; her heart was in danger of imploding.

"L-l-like you aren't loving this!" Hannah stuttered. "I-I-I bet this was your plan all along! You wanted me to cling to you, didn't you!?"

Amanda almost jumped out of her skin. It would've made for a great escape from this situation. "W-w-why would I want you clinging to me with those bony arms of yours!"

"My arms aren't bony! They're slender! We can't all have nice muscles like you!"

"What was that about my nice muscles?" Amanda wanted to know more about Hannah's opinions on her physical appearance, but something more pressing had just come up. "Wait, is that light?"

Amanda and Hannah's eyes were drawn to the tree line. They had made it back to the edge of the forest, and they could see lights coming from the windows of the school building.

"We made it back!" In her excitement, Hannah hugged Amanda. And immediately backed off out of embarrassment.

"Let's get out of here," Amanda said. "You can cling to me later."

Hannah made a strangled noise, but Amanda was already too far ahead of her to hear it. They emerged from the forest and started brushing themselves off and picking grass and other forest debris off their clothes.

"I guess we both lost, since we never made it to the stump," Amanda said.

Hannah made a noncommittal noise. "I wouldn't say that. It doesn't feel like a loss to me."

"I guess I did get something out of it." Amanda conceded. "I learned a bit about being lost in... a forest."

"What do you mean by that?" Hannah asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know." Amanda reached out and pulled a twig from Hannah's hair.

Amanda couldn't be sure because of the darkness, but she could've sworn a blush crept into that pale, glow-in-the-dark, flawless skin of Hannah's. "Like you have any secrets I'd like to know." Her voice wasn't the slightest bit convincing.

"Speaking of secrets," Amanda said, "let's tell the others that we actually made it."

"Let's definitely not mention the part where our wands went out."

"Yeah, that. Definitely that."

Oddly enough, neither of them waited to tell their roommates all about what happened when they were lost in the woods.


	4. Luna Nova Cafe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coffee shop AU, baby! Akko keeps showing up at the Luna Nova Cafe, and it isn't for the coffee...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had too many ideas to use in this chapter so OOPS I'm probably going to end up writing a multi-chapter coffee shop AU fic. Eventually.

"Your favourite customer is here," Hannah said, grinning.

Diana perked up. She smoothed out the apron she wore over her uniform and checked out her reflection in surface of the cappuccino machine.

"Making sure you look cute for Akko?" Barbara said, matching her best friend's expression.

"If she's coming all this way to see me, I'd be embarrassed for her to see when I'm not at my best." Nobody believed Diana's excuse; her smile gave her away.

The Luna Nova Café had a slew of regular customers. Some of them came for the coffee. Some of them came for the atmosphere. One regular customer in particular came time and time again to see Diana. Atsuko "Call me Akko!" Kagari tried to be subtle about why she got her coffee at Diana's workplace, but it didn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out why she only came in during Diana's shifts. And it wasn't lost on Diana's co-workers that she looked forward to Akko's visits.

"You know, you can just ask her out on a date," Hannah said. "She's busting her broke-ass student wallet just to see you."

"Akko's a student?" Diana was surprised that her friends knew something about Akko that she didn't.

"You'd know that if you didn't get distracted by that winning smile of hers," Barbara said. "Speaking of Akko, she sure is taking her time getting to the counter."

"She's talking to her friends," Hannah said, her tone shifting not-so-subtly. "The St. Woodward crowd."

Diana peered across the café. Sure enough, Akko was chatting with a group of university students who were regular customers: Lotte, Sucy, Jasminka, Constanze. And Amanda.

"Did you remember to put extra love in Amanda's latte?" Barbara elbowed her best friend.

"If only Amanda came in as often as Akko does," Diana said slyly. "You would've won her over by now." Diana wasn't the sort of person to concern herself with the love lives of others, but at the moment she was eager to shift attention onto Hannah's long-standing crush.

"Uh-oh," Hannah said. "You shouldn't have teased me." She pulled out her phone and read out the text she was composing: "Hey Amanda, tell Akko to get her cute, little butt over to the counter and order already."

"Wh-what did you do!?" 

Hannah gave Diana _a look_. "I practically narrated what I did."

"Cute that you have Amanda's number," Barbara said, never one to let anything slide.

Hannah ignored her. "You better get to the cash register and take her order," she told Diana. "Or take her to bed," she added.

Diana hurried over to meet Akko at the counter before her so-called friends could embarrass her any further.

Akko was waiting when she got there. "Diana!" Her joy at seeing her crush was inescapably apparent. "I'll have the usual."

"A caramel macchiato cappuccino and a chocolate chip muffin, correct?" Diana had memorized Akko's order in the first week of her visits.

"Yup!" Akko gave her a dazzling smile.

Before Diana could so much as take a step, Barbara was at her side. "I'll take care of her order," she said. "That way you two can talk."

"Wow! Thanks, Barbara!" Akko blew Diana's traitorous friend a kiss. Barbara made a show of catching it and returning one of her own.

Akko returned her gaze to Diana. The barista feigned indifference in front of her coworkers, but with Akko right in front of her it was impossible to deny that the girl was charming and, dare she say, attractive. Her dead-tired college student aesthetic was somehow endearing. Diana felt an overpowering urge to take care of Akko, tidy her up, get her out of those dishevelled clothes and...

 _Alright,_ Diana conceded. _Perhaps I am interested in Akko._ She cleared her throat, unsure of how to proceed. "So..." she said. "I hear you're a student."

Akko's eyes widened in surprise; Diana wanted to know something about her? "Yeah, I study pretty girls!" Akko winked at her.

"I beg your pardon?" Diana blushed. She could swear that she heard the shutter sounds from Hannah's and Barbara's phones.

Akko giggled. "I'm studying photography at Woodward U. Photographing people, mainly. And pretty girls are the most fun to take pictures of. Maybe you could model for me sometime."

"I'm afraid I'm too busy these days for such distractions," Diana replied. _Wait,_ she thought, _was she asking me out on a date? I should've said yes._

Akko changed tracks instantly. "Busy with what? What else does my favourite barista do with her time?" Her obvious intent was figuring out how to squeeze her way into her crush's schedule.

"I'm studying English at St. Beatrix University."

"St. Beatrix?" Akko looked aghast. "You go to that stinky school? Maybe I don't want to date you after all. Wait, uh, pretend you didn't hear that."

Despite the insult to the university founded by her ancestor, Diana found Akko's accidental admission and subsequent blushing to be positively alluring. She stifled a chuckle as she watched her admirer fumble the cash she used to pay for her order. Diana couldn't resist brushing Akko's fingers with hers as she handed over her change. There was no missing the shiver that ran through Akko's hand and down her arm.

"Just a moment," Diana said. "I forgot to write something on your cup."

"But Diana!" Akko said as Diana stepped away. "You don't need to put my name on the cup!"

Diana intercepted Akko's order from Barbara and grabbed the marker they used to write down a customer's name on their cup. With only the slightest hint of hesitation, she wrote her phone number on the cup.

"Here you go." Diana handed over Akko's order. "Have a nice day."

"What did you write? What did you write?" Akko's face lit up when she saw the number written on the side of the cup in Diana's delicate handwriting. "Dang right I'm going to have a nice day! I'll text you later!"

Diana smiled. "You better."


	5. Looking Sharp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannah and Akko bond over something they have in common: sharp teeth...

"Babs," Hannah said, "if I ever look like I'm going to say something stupid, I want you to sew my mouth shut for me."

"Sorry, Han. I'm afraid I don't know how to sew."

"That would be a pretty bad idea," Amanda said. "After all, those big fangs of yours need all the room they can get."

Hannah groaned. "Can we not have one lunch, just one meal where you gremlins don't make some half-assed joke about my teeth!?"

Hannah had been trying to rein in her sharp tongue. She really was. But sometimes she still had trouble keeping herself in check. One day she lost her temper at Sucy and made a snappy remark about her gloomy demeanour. Sucy retort was that she didn't want to hear that from a girl with "creepy fangs." Sucy let it go at that, but everyone else thought it was a riot. Cue three weeks of comments about her so-called fangs, every time she opened her mouth.

"Seriously," Hannah said. "You girls need to grow up already. That joke got old ages ago."

"Not as old as a thousand year-old vampire like you," Amanda said.

Hannah rolled her eyes and made the mistake of biting into an apple.

"She's sucking the life out of that apple!" Stanbot said. Constanze's shoulders shook, indicating laughter. The rest of the group joined in. Except for one.

Oddly enough, the only person who wasn't being a pain in the neck about the whole affair was Akko, of all people. She was even being nice. Unusually nice.

"Knock it off, guys," Akko said. "If you keep yapping you'll never finish your lunch."

"Defending Hannah again?" Diana raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe Akko wants to get bitten next," Jasminka said.

"I've always thought I was a snack." Akko laughed. Everyone else went back to eating their lunches and the subject of conversation changed. Akko flashed Hannah a smile and a wink.

Hannah suddenly became very interested in the contents of her plate. Naturally she appreciated Akko coming to her defence, but she was utterly confused as to _why_. After all, what did she and Akko have in common?

She got her answer later, that night.

It was almost curfew; Hannah was in one of the bathrooms, checking out her so-called fangs in the mirror. "They aren't that big, really they?" she said aloud.

"Eh, I've seen bigger."

Hannah screamed and turned around, face flushing from the embarrassment of being caught. "By the nine!" she exclaimed. "Don't sneak up on me like that, Akko!"

The interloper was leaning up against the wall. Akko looked unusually calm, cool. The glint in her eyes implied a shared secret between the two of them, her smile alluding to some joke that Hannah hadn't been let in on yet.

"Y'know, you really should do a better job of hiding your fangs," Akko said. "Our classmates are going to figure it out soon if you're not careful."

"Figure out what?" Hannah asked.

"Oh, don't play coy," Akko said. "That's the right word, right? I learned that one from Diana. Wait, what was I saying? Oh right. You know what I'm talking about."

"Actually I'm more confused than ever."

Akko pouted. "C'mon! You don't need to hide it! I've never met another one out in the wild before!"

"Another what?"

Akko squinted at her. "Wait, do you really not know? Are you... oh. You're not one of us, are you?"

"One of what? Who's us? You're impossible!" Hannah groaned and turned back around unable to face Akko out of frustration.

And that's when she saw it. Or rather, didn't see it.

Akko's reflection.

Hannah looked back a third time. Akko smiled nervously, revealing the fangs Hannah hadn't never noticed before.

"You're a vampire."

"Sharp of you to notice," Akko said, wincing. "I thought you were one too. But you're not. This is awkward, huh?" And there was the explanation for Akko's kind behaviour toward Hannah; she thought they were two of a kind.

"Wait, you thought I was a vampire too? Because of my," Hannah hesitated, "perfectly normal-sized canine teeth?"

Akko laughed. "They're actually a little big. I mean, I'm a real vampire, and even I thought they were the real thing."

"Ha ha, very funny. Alright, miss real vampire, if you thought I was vampire, then why would I be looking at my teeth in a mirror I can't see myself in?"

"I dunno," Akko replied. "Maybe you were just trying to blend in with the humans?"

"You can literally see my reflection in the mirror."

"Yeah, well I'm not very perceptive. Am I?"

"I'll say."

Akko looked at her feet, then at Hannah, then back at her feet. "You're taking this kinda well," she said.

"Well, yeah," Hannah said. "It's not like I'd feel threatened by a vampire, even when the vampire is you."

"Hey, just because I'm super nice—"

"Not where I was going, but I like your optimism."

"—doesn't mean I don't still need blood," Akko said sternly. "I still get really thirsty sometimes. And when I get really thirsty, I just want to bite someone."

Hannah could see the signs of her classmate's suppressed urges even from the other side of the bathroom. Her hands twitching, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, the way she leaned away from Hannah as if she needed the extra distance between them. Hannah looked into Akko's eyes and saw an urgent, pressing _need_ that would have to be satisfied.

"Are you... thirsty right now?"

Akko rubbed the back of her neck. "I ran out of my blood supply. I was hoping to bum some off of you, but since you're not a vampire..." She shrugged.

The solution to that problem was obvious to Hannah. It should've been obvious to Akko. Maybe she was avoiding it out of... embarrassment...

"If you need blood that bad, you could always..." Hannah trailed off. She moved her head to the side, exposing her neck, hoping Akko would get the message so she wouldn't have to say it out loud.

"I could always what?" Akko cocked her head as well. "C'mon, tell me! What are you—" Her eyes widened, either in realization or in bloodlust. "You want me to bite you!?"

"I don't w-w-want you to bite me!" Hannah yelped. "But I can't let you run around the school biting people like some kind of mosquito! Just take some blood from me until you replenish your supply or whatever."

Akko considered it. "That would work, but are you sure? It'll hurt."

"You've always been a pain in the neck," Hannah said. "What's a little bit more?"

"It's more than just a pinch!"

"I'll just bite you back then," Hannah said. "Then we'll be even."

Akko blushed. "H-Hannah! You perv! At least buy me a drink first!"

Hannah blushed as well at the thought of breaking some kind of vampire social protocol. Biting humans was okay but getting bitten was lewd somehow? "Just bite me already before someone walks in or something." She offered her flushed neck.

Akko was too thirsty to argue. She crossed the bathroom and came in close to Hannah. With calmness intended to reassure, she placed one hand on Hannah's shoulder and used the other to pull her collar out of the way. Mumbling a warning for her not to flinch, Akko brought her mouth to Hannah's neck and sank her fangs into the soft flesh.

A moan broke through Hannah's lips. Akko hadn't exaggerated; it _did_ hurt. But it also felt good. _Really good._ Hannah told herself that the surge of heat tingling its way through her body was some mechanism that vampires had evolved to keep their prey complacent. It certainly had nothing to do with how nice Akko's lips felt against her neck. As Akko drank from her, she pressed up against Hannah, pushing her back up against the sink. The strength in Hannah's legs faded and she clung to Akko for support, her fingers gripping the back of Akko's uniform.

When she had her fill, Akko pulled her fangs out and—as she always did when she fed—kissed the twin wounds, to make them better. Hannah squeaked at the kiss, but didn't object. She released the tension in her arms and Akko stepped back. She wiped away the blood on her lips with her hand, which she then licked clean. "You're all good? The wound should close up soon. Something about vampire saliva."

Hannah nodded. She felt a little light-headed. Nothing she couldn't handle. The bite stung. She could handle that too. What she couldn't handle was the overwhelming desire to make good on that suggestion she'd made before. She chalked that up to vampire nonsense as well.

"You've had your snack," Hannah said breathily. "Now it's my turn."

She pulled at Akko's collar and ran a finger down the side of her neck. Akko shivered in response and didn't resist when Hannah lowered her head and nibbled at Akko's neck, taking skin between her teeth and tugging gently. Then she imitated Akko and pressed her teeth into Akko's skin, making a low sound in her throat as she did. Hannah's so-called fangs weren't nearly as sharp as Akko's and obviously didn't pierce the skin, but they still hurt quite a bit. The vampire yelped, but rather than try to get away, she clung held Hannah closer. Akko wasn't used to being on this side of the biting, but she didn't mind it.

Once she had her fun, Hannah pushed Akko away, perhaps to make sure things didn't go any further.

Akko covered her face with her hands. "I can't believe you actually did it. Biting a vampire? Who does that?"

"You're a supernatural creature that lives off blood and that's weird to you?"

Akko uncovered her face, which was blushing furiously. "I bite people cuz I need to! You did it cuz you were into it!"

"I was not 'into it!'"

"You totally were! You moaned!"

"Y-you're imagining things!"

The two of them glared at each other, nose to nose. They were both slightly out of breath, and the sound of their panting did nothing to quell the desires bubbling under the surface.

"We should be going," Akko said. "We don't want anyone wondering where we are." And more to the point, wondering why they were both missing together.

She was about to leave when Hannah spoke up. "If you ever run out of blood again," she said hesitantly, "you can come to me for a quick fix."

Akko laughed. "Are you going to bite me again if I do?"

Hannah bit her lip as she considered the possibilities. "Maybe. If I can't think of anything better to do..."


	6. Over the Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Diana discovers that Akko has a big, furry problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all ever just been punched right the fuck out by your mental and physical health? Anyway this isn't 2 weeks late if you remember that time is a human construct i.e. fake ass bullshit.

"What might I ask are you doing in the kitchens after curfew?" Diana asked, glaring at the pyjama-clad girl.

"...is that a trick question?" Akko looked down at the considerable amount of food in her arms and back to Diana.

"I'm curious how you're going to attempt to excuse your poor behaviour this time." One would think that after being caught so many times, she would've learned how to lie better.

Akko winced. "I was... um... preparing for a birthday celebration. For one of the goblins. Um, Bartholomew... you're going to tell me you know all the goblin's birthdays, aren't you?"

Diana shook her head.

The star student had been on duty for the night patrol, striding through the hallways lit by the light of the full moon. Not twenty minutes past curfew, she heard a commotion from the direction of the kitchens. Diana hardly needed to catch the culprit in the act to know it was her self-professed rival. She had cut Akko off at the doorway, leading to the present conversation.

"I have not memorized the faerie staff's birthdays, but I question why you would be taking food the goblins made to feed one of said goblins."

"Oh. Right." Akko shifted nervously. "I guess that's not going to fly."

"No, it is not." Diana waved her wand, and with practiced ease, her magic returned the foodstuffs to their proper places in the kitchen stores. If not for Akko's antics, she wouldn't even know where they belonged.

"Fine, fine." Akko bit her lip, eyes darting around behind Diana. "Um, I'll go back to my room on my own and you can keep going on your patrol."

Diana waited for Akko to move. Aside from anxious jitters, she stayed still as a statue.

"If I leave, you're going to steal food again, aren't you?"

"What!? No! I would never?" Akko voice broke no less than five times.

"Your lying is even more obvious than usual," Diana noted. "What's different from usual?" She leaned in close to her friend, inspecting her with uncompromising eyes.

"Diana, please!" Akko shielded her face with her hands. She was practically trembling under Diana's gaze.

"Akko, you can tell me what's wrong."

Akko remained silent.

Diana gently eased Akko's hands away from her face so that she could look her directly in the eyes. "You can trust me. I've earned that, haven't I? Whatever problem you have, it won't be solved by stealing food."

Akko made a strangled noise and let loose what was on her mind. "Look, it's not my fault! It's not like Luna Nova has proper safety measures set up. I guess I'm the first to come to school here. Is it really that hard to just give me enough food so I don't go on a rampage?

"What are you talking about?"

"C'mon! I thought you were smart," Akko said frantically. She flailed her arms upward, pointing at the sky. "Y'know, full moon? I'm a... well, y'know?"

"A... werewolf?"

"Yeah," Akko said, nodding her head vigorously. "If I don't fill myself up before I go all wolfy, I'll run around looking for something to munch on, and sometimes that'll be a person. This is the safest way for me to transform. That's why I've been stealing food from the kitchen!"

"Curious." Diana crossed her arms. "A full moon happens only once a month. Well, it happens twice every once in a full moon." She chuckled at her own joke. "I seem to recall your thefts occurring more often than that."

"Okay," Akko conceded, "but this time it's important!"

Diana wasn't certain that she believed Akko's story. After all, she thought, if Akko were a werewolf, surely it would've come up before now. But even Akko wouldn't have picked such an easily provable lie. If Akko failed to transform into a wolf, Diana would know she was lying. However, if she did transform...

"Very well," Diana said. "I will assist you. But thievery is not the solution to this problem." 

"Would you believe I don't remember to tell you until the full moon comes around and I forget once I go wolf?"

"Yes, Akko. I would believe that."

An hour later, Akko found herself seated at Diana's desk. In Dian's bedroom. At the Cavendish Manor. The entire surface of the desk was covered in dishes of food so fancy Akko couldn't recognize them. "Uh, where did all this come from?"

"I cooked it myself," Diana said. "With magical assistance, naturally." Even with magic to explain the volume, the veritable feast was difficult for Akko to process.

"I mean, you didn't have to go to all that trouble," Akko said bashfully. "You could've just given me the raw ingredients. We werewolves aren't picky."

Diana blushed. "Anything worth doing is worth doing right. Now eat up. The moon will be at its height soon and you'll transform."

"Wait, you cooked it yourself?" Akko asked. "Don't you have staff for that?"

"I d-d-didn't want to t-t-trouble them so late at n-n-night," Diana stammered. "Now eat."

Akko didn't press the issue; there was a feast pining for her attention. She dug into her food with even worse manners than her last visit, prioritizing speed over etiquette. Judging by Diana's silence, she understood the urgency. She didn't speak again until Akko was on her last plate.

Diana chuckled. "Ironic that a werewolf would choose to go to _Luna Nova_ academy."

"You're just full of moon jokes, huh?" Akko downed the last scraps of food in a second. "You aren't fazed about the whole 'Akko's a werewolf' thing?"

"Not as phased as the moon." Diana really couldn't help herself.

"You really aren't worried about being around a werewolf?" Akko looked at her with worry in her eyes.

"Of course not," Diana said. "I'm sure I can handle one little werewolf pup."

"Hey! I'm not a pup! I can be pretty ferocious, y'know!"

"Besides, you and I have been through much more than this," Diana continued. "And I know you would never hurt me."

"Well when you put it that way." Akko blushed furiously. "Um, I think I'm going to transform soon. You might, um, want to leave the room."

"I told you, it's—wh-what in the name of decency are you doing!?"

Akko already had her shirt off and was reaching for her tiny, red shorts. "If I don't take my clothes off, I'll rip them when I turn!" Her voice squeaked, like a Chihuahua's yip. "Do you see why I do this alone!?"

"It is blindingly clear!" Diana not only turned away, she threw herself onto her bed and buried her head under her pillows. She remained there throughout the noise of Akko's transformation, emerging only when she felt something cold and wet press against her leg. She sat up to see a large, brown wolf with a rather distinctive half-ponytail.

"Fascinating. It's almost as if you didn't change at all."

Wolf-Akko narrowed her eyes in response. Apparently werewolves were incapable of human speech.

Diana smiled. "I suppose I shouldn't tease you. You might eat me. After all, I hear you can be ferocious."

Akko shook her head and jumped onto the bed and rolled onto her back, exposing her full belly.

"You're too full to eat me? All is well then."

The wolf-girl turned over and crawled closer to Diana, nudging her hand with her nose until the other girl agreed to pet her head.

"I had no idea werewolves were so needy." Diana most certainly didn't mind the attention. She was quite comfortable being affectionate her family's dogs, and found it equally comfortable to do so with Wolf-Akko—much easier than with Akko's human form, to her eternal dismay. As Akko curled up next to her, Diana eased into a state of deep contentment, running her fingers through Akko's fur. Her last thought before falling asleep was that she was thankful for the full moon for affording her this opportunity.

She was slightly less thankful (i.e. morbidly embarrassed) when she woke up the following morning next to a fully naked Akko curled up on her bed.


	7. Flirting with Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a much-enamored Hannah is forced to work on a project with Amanda, and things go as well for her as you might imagine.

"This is a complete and utter disaster," Hannah groaned.

 

"Why does it have to be both?' Barbara asked. "Why can't it be just a complete disaster? Or an utter disaster? It doesn't seem bad enough to be both."

 

"Just because you're my favourite bookworm doesn't mean I'll let you play with my words like that. Don't pretend you don't want to see me flailing in front of Amanda."

 

Barbara giggled. "Alright then, I won't pretend."

 

Hannah's day had gone from bad to worse. The morning started as every morning did, with Hannah worrying about how she'd deal with her growing feelings for Amanda fucking O'Neill. She didn't _want_ to have feelings for someone as wild and unpredictable as the rambunctious American, but her heart didn't get the memo—it pounded against her chest like a jackhammer whenever Amanda was around. Her situation certainly wasn't helped by the way Amanda messed with her on a daily basis.

 

That day, right after lunch, Amanda ambushed Hannah with a potion that stuck her shoes to the floor. Amanda also happened to be close enough that she was stuck as well. It took Barbara so long to unstick them that they were late for class. Finnelan was none too please; her punishment was to force the three of them to work together on a project. The Inquisition couldn't have devised a more fitting punishment for the young witches.

 

"This is the worst," Hannah said. "We wouldn't be in this situation if Amanda weren't so obsessed with annoying me."

 

"Maybe she's like a twelve year-old boy and this her way of showing she has a crush on you," Barbara suggested.

 

"I remember twelve year-old boys' crushes and they were never as annoying as this."

 

"Maybe because this is the first time you felt the same, and you wish your crush was sweeter on you."

 

Hannah rolled her eyes. She wouldn't survive the afternoon if she had to deal with Barbara's teasing as well as Amanda's harassment. Resigned to her fate, Hannah followed Barbara to the library, where they'd agreed to meet Amanda.

 

They found the American lounging in the corner of the library, leaning back in her chair with her feet on the table. Hannah cursed herself for ogling Amanda's legs, but fortunately they distracted her from the unseemly up skirt view her crush was offering.

 

"Hey Hannah, Barbara. Took you long enough," Amanda said. "Let's get this over with. I'd rather not be seen hanging around with you dorks."

 

Hannah took the seat next to Amanda. And then realized what she'd done and threw out a rude remark to compensate. "This is your fault in the first place, jackass. If you didn't want to be seen with us, you shouldn't have stuck us together with our stupid potion!"

 

Before Amanda could retort, Barbara interjected, "These genealogies aren't going to write themselves out."

 

"What kind of boring project is this anyway?" Amanda groaned. "Every witch knows about every other witches family. Way too much." Well, except for Akko, but she was the exception more often than the rule.

 

Hannah sighed. "Why does it not surprise me that you have no respect for your own magical heritage?"

 

"I don't have any problem with my dead ancestors," Amanda grumbled. "It's the live ones who make me hate magic."

 

Hannah averted her eyes. "I didn't say anything about needing to like your family..."

 

"O-kay," Barbara said sternly. "Let's hit the books before this turns into group therapy."

 

Hannah and Amanda stood up and went to the bookshelves to find genealogy books. They went to the same shelf. And reached for the same book. Their hands touched.

 

"W-watch what you're doing!" Hannah drew her hand back as if it were scalded.

 

 "Right back atcha, England," Amanda fired back. She practically danced away from the shelf.

 

"Oh, I'm back to England now?" Hannah hated that she kept track of how Amanda referred to her. She'd been "Hannah" for ages—occasionally a mean nickname—and her heart fell at the sudden return to formality.

 

"I can call you whatever I want." Amanda stood awkwardly nearby. "Just... hand me some books and I'll carry them over to the table."

 

"Whatever." Hannah didn't want to over-analyze Amanda's actions. After all, Barbara would do it for her later. _12 year-old boy with a crush, my ass._

 

Hannah and Amanda returned to the table each with a stack of books. The three of them went to work,

 

As much as Hannah hated to admit it, Amanda was right; the assignment was boring. But she would never admit it. Amanda would never let her forget it.

 

Five minutes later...

 

"Ugh, this is so boring!" Hannah slammed her book shut. "If I read the name 'England' again today, I'm going to leave the country."

 

"I think that happened somewhere on my family tree." Amanda squinted at her assignment. "Yeah, between the Ireland stuff and the America stuff there's a lot of hate for England."

 

"Swell." Hannah didn't even try to hide her bitterness.

 

Amanda blushed. "I didn't—not like you England, like the country." She hid behind her family tree.

 

"Give me those." Barbara grabbed Hannah and Amanda's family trees. She looked them over and slid them back across the table. "You've both got enough to keep Finnelan happy. No need for leaving the country today."

 

"Thank the nine," Amanda said.

 

"That I won't be leaving the country?" Hannah asked a little too hopefully.

 

Amanda laughed nervously. "Um, uh, no. I meant that we're done. I'm tired of looking at my stupid, old family."

 

"You shouldn't talk about your family that way," Hannah said mildly.

 

"Why not? They're a bunch of human trash heaps."

 

"Yeah, but you shouldn't say it." As Barbara had said, they didn't need to turn this into group therapy, but Hannah had a feeling they had similar problems when it came to the families they were lucky enough not to be around.

 

"Well, the great thing about families is you can always get a new one," Barbara said, pointing to her left ring finger.

 

"Marriage?" Amanda scoffed. "Gay."

 

"Scoff all you like, but it looks like there's two family trees tangling as we speak." Barbara pointed at the two assignments lying on Hannah and Amanda's side of the table, one laid over the other like lovers' hands.

 

"Urk!" Hannah blushed furiously, and reprimanded her best friend even more furiously. "Don't even joke about that! There's no way I could—that I would ever—"

 

"I-I-I would never marry Hannah!" Amanda spluttered. "Who wants to be an England!?"

 

Barbara spotted weakness and went straight for the jugular. "Oh, so you'd be taking her name then?"

 

Hannah looked at Amanda in surprise; Amanda reeled back so fast she damn near fell out of her chair. "I-I-I'm not going to marry anyone!

 

Barbara wasn't done with her prey just yet. She shook her jaws to snap the neck. "I don't approve of my best friend's suitor planning to live in sin with her."

 

"I, uh, no—" Amanda ran her hand through her hair in a frazzled sort of way. "Who said anything about me and Hannah? It's not like I like her or anything."

 

Barbara smirked at Hannah. Her eyes conveyed a silent "I told you so."

 

Knowing full well that she would regret it, Hannah pick up her pen again and held it over their family trees. "Should we attach our family trees and draw a line between them then? Ooh, what if we added some kids? Did you have any names in mind? Maybe some Irish names to honour that O'Neill heritage. Would it be perverse to give Irish names to an England?"

 

Amanda seemed to dissolve on the spot. Face red with both rage and embarrassment, she snatched her family tree away and tried to storm off. As it were, she tripped over her agile dancer's feet and careened into a stack of books. She was out of the library before anyone could yell at her to pick them up.

 

"I'm impressed, Hannah," Barbara said. "Teasing your crush? Soon you'll be _wooing_ her."

 

Hannah barely heard her; her head was against the desk, buried in her arms. Her burning ears betrayed her embarrassment. "Shut up."

 

"And here you thought this was going to be a disaster." Barbara smirked. "What you got was a disaster lesbian. Well, you don't 'got' her yet, but you'll put a ring on it someday."

 

"I sure hope so. I already added her to my family tree." In pen. For the sake of a joke. She hoped Diana knew a great erasing spell.


	8. Staying Silent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Barbara contemplates whether or not to confess her feelings.

Was it even possible to feel longing for someone who was always at your side? Could you pine for someone who was always within reach? Could you there be distance between two people who were practically inseparable?

Barbara considered these questions as she sat next to Hannah and her friends. Diana was having lunch with Akko, so today Hannah and Barbara sat with their friends in the Grey Team.

"Oh my gosh, did you girls hear about Chloe?" Avery asked. "She's dating a boy from Appleton!"

"Appleton?" Hannah grimaced. "Those witch-hating sleazes? I knew Chloe had bad taste in people, but I didn't think it was that bad." Hannah would never forgive Chloe for her open disgust for Diana.

"Appleton boys aren't all bad," Mary said. "After all, Andrew goes to Appleton."

Blair waved her hand dismissively. "Andrew doesn't count, of course. He's a gentleman."

"I'd never be desperate enough to date a boy from Appleton—Andrew excluded," Hannah declared.

"What about you, Barbara?" Avery asked. "Where do you stand hot-button issue?"

Barbara, who had been admiring Hannah out of the corner of her eye, snapped her attention back to the current conversation. "Um, I can't see myself dating a boy from Appleton in the near future."

* * *

She had intended her answer to be ambiguous, but her so-called friends zeroed in on that ambiguity with the ferocity of a prosecuting attorney.

"Does that mean you already have your sights on someone?" Avery asked, her eyes hungry for gossip. "Do you have a crush on a boy?"

"Where would Barbara have met a boy?" Mary scoffed. "She's either here at school or stuck to Hannah's side. It's much more likely that she's got a crush on a  _girl_." The Grey Team was very supportive of Barbara (and Hannah's) bisexuality; they saw it as an opportunity for twice the romance gossip.

"Hey, Hannah, has Barbara met any boys?" Blair asked. "Or a girl?"

Hannah shrugged. "If Barbara has a crush, she hasn't told me about it."

A shiver ran down Barbara's neck.  _Does she know!?_  Obviously Barbara would tell her best friend if she had feelings for someone—unless that someone  _was_  her best friend.

"Sorry to disappoint you girls, but I haven't met anyone." While completely true, her answer didn't exactly address the underlying question.

"Rats," Avery said. "Maybe Hannah has the hots for someone." The girls looked at the redhead expectantly.

"Nope! I'm just as boring as Babs." Hannah elbowed her bestie, and may or may not have noticed the way Barbara jumped at the contact.

The conversation moved along, but Barbara's thoughts lingered on Hannah's response. She desperately hoped that Hannah was being more truthful than she was, that she didn't have feelings for anyone.  _Or maybe,_  Barbara thought _, "I'm just as boring as Babs" means she knows I have feelings for her and she also has feelings for someone!_

Those thoughts occupied her throughout her afternoon classes and well into her time hanging out with Lotte.

"You seem to be thinking pretty hard about something," Lotte said. They had been reading  _Nightfall_  together in the courtyard. Well, Lotte had been reading. Barbara had been staring off into space.

"Lotte, what do you think being in love feels like?"

"Love?" Lotte adjusted her glasses. "Well, I've never been in love, but based on all the romance books I've read, being in love is like you're flying a broom, even thought you have your feet on the ground. It's like the person you love is your favourite perfume! Just being around them is enough to make you happy as can be!"

"I see." Barbara couldn't relate. Love made her feel like she was falling through the air without a broom. To her, Hannah was less of a perfume and more of an intoxicant, one that made her question her sensibilities. Being around Hannah no longer made her feel "as happy as can be;" she often felt anxious and unsure of what to say and what to leave unsaid.

Love didn't make her feel good.

Love hurt.

 _Maybe I should tell Hannah I'm in love with her,_  Barbara thought idly, repeating the argument to herself over and over again for the rest of the day.  _She's probably guessed by now. I'm only going to get more awkward around her, so maybe it's better to admit my feelings than to stay silent._

Her indecision was put to the test when she got back to her room and Hannah was sitting on her bed wearing nothing but a bathrobe. The ends of her hair were still damp. Barbara's eyes followed a drop of water drip from her roommate's hair onto her collarbone, down along the curve of her—

Barbara wrenched her eyes away from Hannah's cleavage. Hannah didn't seem to notice her best friend's wandering eyes. "There you are! I was beginning to wonder if you and Lotte were going to read those books all night."

"Aw, did you miss me?" Barbara asked as she sat down on her own bed. The coy question was more direct than Barbara usually allowed herself to be.

"You know me," Hannah said airily. "I can't bear to be apart from you."

Barbara laughed. Internally, she was screaming.  _Is she joking? Is she teasing me?_  She couldn't even start to think about what she'd do if Hannah was actually being serious.

"Did you at least have a good time while you were depriving me of your company?" Hannah asked, perhaps playfully?

"Yeah. We talked about romance and stuff."

"Of course," Hannah said. "I know you're a sucker for that kind of mushy stuff." She held up a hand. "Um, I didn't mean that in a mean way. I only tease you because I love you, you know." She smiled warmly, earnestly.

As much as she wished she could believe it, Barbara knew in her heart that Hannah didn't love her the way she loved her.  _That's why she can say that so easily. It doesn't mean the same thing to her._  Barbara briefly considered spilling her guts right then and there, confessing her most hidden, heartfelt feelings to the most important person in her life, damn the consequences. Barbara smiled grimly as she imagined the look on Hannah's face upon learning how Barbara really felt about her.  _There's no way I could do that. She'll never feel the same way I do. It's better if I just say silent._

"I know. I love you too, Hannah."


	9. Behind a Lavender Curtain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lotte confesses her feelings to Sucy, who isn’t quite hearing her out.
> 
> Prompt: Lavender

Lotte tried catch Sucy's eye through her curtain of lavender hair. She'd always thought her roommate's hair was gorgeous.

"Can I... can I talk to you about something?" Lotte asked, shyly hovering at the edge of Sucy's desk.

"Sure, but keep it quiet if you can." Sucy carefully nudged a flask filled with growing sporelings. "I've got some germinating soufflé fungi and they're sensitive to sound."

"Okay." Lotte swallowed.  _All I need to say is "I like you." Everything will be fine if I can just get the words out._  But that was the trouble.

Lotte had asked the spirits inhabiting Sucy's potions set if it would be a good idea to confess her feelings. The spirits were coy about how the message would be received, but they encouraged her nonetheless. Never one to disagree with spirits, Lotte decided to go ahead with her confession.

"It's just like in volume 169 of  _Nightfall,_ " she muttered under her breath, "when Belle confessed her feelings after Edgar's memories were erased for the second time. It all worked out for the best."

"Whispering  _Nightfall_ factoids to yourself?" Sucy asked. "It's impressive that you can remember every little fact about three hundred and sixty-five books." Anyone else would think she was being sarcastic, but Lotte knew her roommate well enough to hear the earnestness hidden in her voice.

Lotte turned away bashfully. "It's much more impressive that you know all that stuff about mushrooms and potions and poisons."

Sucy batted away the compliment. "That's different. Potions are my life. Anyway, you wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Um, yes." Lotte tried to find the words.  _If only I had thought to ask Annabel to help me come up with a confession worthy of_ Nightfall, she thought. She tried to think of how love felt in her favourite books.

"Lately, Sucy, I've been feeling... different. My heartbeat's been racing, I've been feeling light-headed, I'm trembling, and it's all because of—"

"Did you swallow one of my potions by mistake?" Sucy asked. "You know those are unfit for consumption by anyone other than my guinea pig." She cackled softly.

Lotte made a mental note to implore Sucy to tone down the experimentation at a later date. "It's not that!" How could she convey her feelings properly? She thought about her feelings for Sucy, how strong they were. Blushing, she made another attempt. "I've wanted to say this to you for a long time. I—"

"Maybe it's the pollen of the faunus flower I've been keeping in here," Sucy said, looking at Lotte closely for symptoms. "That would account for your unusual flushing. I could get rid of it if you'd be more comfortable."

Sucy's concern for her only made Lotte blush harder. "That's not what I meant," she said hurriedly. She didn't want her beloved Sucy to get rid of her plants just for her. Especially when they weren't doing anything wrong. "What I'm trying to say is—"

"I can always get more plants," Sucy said softly. "Or store them somewhere else on campus. I'm sure Akko knows somewhere secluded. But I won't keep specimens around that are having a negative effect on your wellbeing." Nothing was said about the negative effects of Sucy's experiments on Akko.

"That's not it! What I'm trying to say is..." Lotte sucked in a deep breath. "Sucy! I like you! I mean, I  _like_  you like you. Nobody knows it because you act so cool, but you're a really sweet witch and I want to be your girlfriend!" She didn't mean to raise her voice, but it was the only way she could get the words out.

There were two immediate reactions. One, the soufflé fungi deflated mournfully at the sound of Lotte's raised voice. Two, Sucy tensed up like a frightened cat, her . Her pale grey skin turned a lovely shade of maroon, heating up like a brewing cauldron. She desperately tried to hide her embarrassed smile, resulting in a bizarre grimace that Lotte found  _adorable._

"C-clearly those  _Nightfall_ books have given you some weird ideas about romance," Sucy said nervously, her teeth clicking together. "I d-don't recall ever saying I was interested in r-romance with anyone."

"But I thought you adored  _chemistry_ ," Lotte teased, gaining confidence at the sight of Sucy getting flustered. "You could study our chemistry."

"I like alchemy, not chemistry," Sucy evaded. "Look what you've done. Your rambling murdered my soufflé fungi. Consider yourself responsible for replacing them." She furtively glanced at her admirer. "They only grow in a certain spot at the edge of the Gourmet Forest. You'd never find it on your own, so I'll have to come along..."

Lotte smiled. "It's a date!"

Sucy grumbled, but didn't object to Lotte's conclusion. She elected to hide behind her lavender hair so she wouldn't have to hold in her smile.


	10. Waiting for the Right Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hannah worries that Barbara is avoiding her after discovering her feelings for her.
> 
> Prompt: Waiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to/concurrent with Chapter 8

"What am I waiting for?" Hannah asked aloud into the void of an empty dorm room. Diana was out on late evening study session with Akko (that  _probably_  wasn't a euphemism), and Barbara was spending time with Lotte, leaving Hannah alone with her thoughts. She certainly needed the time to sort out her feelings.

The conversation at lunch hadn't exactly cleared things up for Hannah. Barbara's ambiguous answers and meaningful glances only confused her more. Faced with no other choice, she matched ambiguity with ambiguity, lest Barbara clue into her hidden feelings.

Hannah's crush on Barbara had emerged weeks ago. Not knowing what to do about it, she hid her feelings to eliminate the possibility of it affecting their friendship. Maybe it hadn't been enough. How else should she interpret Barbara seemingly avoiding her? She wasn't bothered by her best friend spending more time with Lotte, but Barbara had been growing distant lately.

And it hurt.

Hannah  _ached_  to be close to Barbara again. Not just for Barbara to come back to their room, but for the two them to return to the way they were before. She could handle not being Barbara's girlfriend, but she couldn't stand the thought of losing her as a friend. As it were, she felt like she was being ripped apart as her other half drifted farther and farther away.

If Barbara pulled away any farther, she wouldn't have anything to lose from confessing her feelings. And Hannah didn't know how to feel about that possibility.

"There's no point in moping here alone," Hannah told the empty room. "I might as well get a shower now."

A few minutes later, Hannah was luxuriating under a jet of hot water in the dorm room's en suite bathroom. Her thoughts inevitably wandered to memories of showering with Barbara. As the water travelled from the back of her neck and down to the base of her spine, Hannah imagined Barbara's hands making the same journey. Barbara hadn't bathed with her in forever, and she missed that intimacy, even if it didn't go any farther.

As she towelled off, she considered her options. She could try to resolve whatever tension was between her and Barbara and hope their friendship would go back to normal, or she could go for broke and confess her feelings.

She wrapped herself in a bathrobe and left the bathroom. "I guess I don't have the luxury of waiting for the right time," she said as she sat down on her bed. She chuckled bitterly. "Maybe I should tell Barbara I like her as soon as she comes back."

Hannah regretted that comment almost immediately; not ten seconds later, Barbara opened the door and came into the room. She opened her mouth, perhaps to say hello, and opened it a little wider when she saw Hannah in her bathrobe. It took all of Hannah's self-restraint not to bite her lip as she watched Barbara's eyes trail down her chest.

"There you are!" Hannah said. "I was beginning to wonder if you and Lotte were going to read those books all night." She hoped her true feelings didn't bleed into her voice.

Barbara sat down on her own bed. "Aw, did you miss me?"

 _More than you'll ever know,_  Hannah thought. "You know me. I can't bear to be apart from you."  _Why even hide it?_

Barbara laughed, not quite keeping the nervous edge off her voice.

 _Was that a little too far?_  Hannah wondered."Did you at least have a good time while you were depriving me of your company?" she teased.

"Yeah. We talked about romance and stuff."

 _Is it too much to hope she was asking Lotte for love advice about me?_  Hannah thought. "Of course. I know you're a sucker for that kind of mushy stuff. Um, I didn't mean that in a mean way. I only tease you because I love you, you know." She'd said those words to Barbara innumerable times, and the phrase rolled off her tongue as easily as ever. But she hoped her sincerity would reach Barbara this time.

Barbara's smile didn't reach her eyes. "I know. I love you too, Hannah."

 _I could almost believe that she meant it,_  Hannah thought.  _If I were smarter, I'd leave it at that._  "Gosh," she said. "When you say it so frankly, it makes my heart flutter."

"D-don't t-tease me," Barbara stuttered. She laid down on her bed, wincing slightly. "My back is bothering me again."

"It's because you were hunched over your books all day," Hannah said. "That's why you're so tense."

"Maybe. I wonder if Diana knows a good spell for that."

An incredibly bad idea occurred to Hannah, but she was feeling reckless. She wanted to reforge their connection, to recapture that intimacy. "No need for that. You know what you need, Babs? A massage."

Barbara's face started giving off steam. "A m-m-massage!? You must be joking!"

"What's wrong?" Hannah asked, smirking slightly. "What's a little massage between best friends?"

She could almost see Barbara's thoughts racing around her head. Did she think Hannah really meant it as a friend? Did she pick up on Hannah's true feelings? Did that bother her, or was she okay with it?

Finally, Barbara came to decision. "Of course," she said slowly and deliberately. "Just something you'd do as a friend."

"Best friends," Hannah corrected. "I wouldn't do this for just any of my friends."  _Take the hint, Barbara._

"Right." Barbara twitched nervously. "So what should I do?"

"Taking your shirt off would be a good start," Hannah said. She lifted herself off her bed and took a seat on Barbara's.

"Wh-what!?" Barbara almost jumped out of her skin.

"How am I supposed to massage you through your uniform? You need to take your shirt off. That's how the pros do it."

Barbara fumbled with the buttons on her uniform. "If I didn't know you better, I'd accuse you of being a pervert."

"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think," Hannah said with a wink.

Barbara blushed and turned around before resuming taking off her uniform.

"Why are you getting shy?" Hannah teased. "It's nothing I haven't seen before." She almost stopped there, but she figured she should go big or go home. "And I wouldn't mind seeing it again."

"What's gotten into you?" Barbara removed her shirt and lay down on her front.

 _You have, darling._  Before she could question her own urges, she straddled Barbara and laid her hands against her bare skin.

"Is that how the pros do it too?" Barbara squeaked. Her neck was flush with embarrassment, but she didn't struggle.

"Nope. This is a special service, just for you." Hannah's fingers tiptoed up Barbara's back. "The bra has to go too."

"Of course it does," Barbara huffed. As Hannah's fingers brushed her skin, she said, "I can do it myself!" She reached up and unhooked the bra and pushed the straps to the side.

Hannah giggled. She marvelled the sight before her: Barbara's smooth skin, her shoulder blades, the nape of her neck and the inviting curve of her spine. There were so many ways she could fuck this up, but she couldn't back down now.

"I've never done this before," she said as she started massaging Barbara's back. "You're my first," she added playfully.

Barbara laughed. "Well, I trust myself in your capable hands."

"That's exactly what I needed to hear," Hannah said quietly.

Her hands searched for sources of tension, rubbing at the knots in Barbara's muscles. It wasn't long before Barbara gave into the massage and relaxed perhaps too much, letting little gasps and moans escape for each bit of stress released. It was almost more than Hannah could take. She was high on the sensation of her hands against Barbara's skin and eager to make her moan even louder.

She didn't need to worry about that. "Higher," Barbara said breathlessly. Hannah followed her instructions without question. Her hands moved up to Barbara's shoulders and did their magic. For her troubles, she got a moan and Barbara swore under her breath.

Even Hannah was blushing now.  _That was oddly sexual._  "Was that good?"

"It was amazing." Barbara sounded like she'd been well and thoroughly screwed.

"Well, it was my pleasure." Hannah un-straddled Barbara before she did something she regretted in her aroused state.

Barbara purred with satisfaction as she sat up, the pains in her back apparently relieved. She put her uniform's shirt back on, but neglected to button it. "I'm not sure what I did to deserve that... but you should tell me so I can get it again."

"That's what you get for being so distant lately," Hannah said. "I missed quality time with my other half." Was that too bold to admit? At this point, Hannah didn't care.

Barbara turned to face her. Her face was flushed, her hair was in disarray, and she seemed the happiest to see Hannah that she'd been in ages. "In that case, I guess I'd better not leave you alone any longer. Who knows what you might do next time."

Hannah smiled and brushed Barbara's hair from her face with hesitant fingers. It would've been so easy to kiss her. The moment was so,  _so_  right for it. But Hannah didn't dare. It could ruin everything. She couldn't even ask. She'd connected with Barbara again, she couldn't get greedy. Even now, hope clouded her mind and she could've sworn she saw lust in Barbara's eyes. She just couldn't trust herself right now.

But that didn't mean she was giving up. She wouldn't be confessing today, but she was done waiting.


	11. Rest Day for Diana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Diana's closest friends make her take a rest day by any means necessary.
> 
> Prompt: Rest Day

"For the last time, you're going to relax today," Hannah said, blocking Diana's path as she tried to leave her section of the Blue Team's dorm room.

"But the professors are renewing the school's protection charms," Diana insisted as she unsuccessfully struggled with the redhead. "They'll need my assistance."

"The professors managed to run things before you came to Luna Nova," Barbara reminded her. "They can handle things on their own for once. You need to rest."

"Hopefully Akko can get you to calm down," Hannah grunted. "You wouldn't fight with your girlfriend like this, right?"

"She is not my girlfriend!" Diana protested.

"Diana has a girlfriend?"

Diana stopped struggling when she heard the airy, cheerful tones of her self-professed rival.

"Akko's here," Barbara said, unnecessarily and perhaps a little ironically.

The visitor skipped across the dorm room and got right up in Diana's face (Hannah moved out of the way as she approached). "Why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?"

"I do  _not_  have a girlfriend," Diana repeated.

"Don't be silly," Hannah said. "Akko's your girlfriend."

Akko gasped. "I am! Why didn't you tell me!"

Barbara took her usual place at Hannah's side. "Terribly poor form, Diana, not telling Akko that you've been courting her."

"Courting me?" Akko blushed. "I'm too young for that!"

Diana crossed her arms and  _harrumphed_  in frustration. "This is absurd. I'm not dating anyone. I feel the same way about Akko as I feel about the two of you."

With a feigned gasp, Hannah fanned herself. "I'm flattered that you love me, but Barbara and I are in a committed relationship."

"Oh, I don't know," Barbara teased. "I think we can make an exception for Diana."

"Wait, how many girlfriends does Diana have now?" Akko frowned. "I'm confused."

Flustered and quite beside herself, Diana made a grievous mistake. "Enough of this nonsense about who's dating whom. I thought you were trying to convince me to relax, and this is anything but relaxing for me."

Three pairs of eyes glinted.

"That's right, Diana," Hannah said. "No hard work for you today."

"You've been exhausted lately," Barbara added. "We know you've barely had any sleep this week."

"But the professors..." Diana looked to Akko for help. "Akko, surely you disagree."

Akko shook her head. "You need to rest. You haven't been fun at all lately! No more work for you. I'm going to make sure you stay in that bed and relax."

"So bold," Hannah said. "Taking your girlfriend to bed in front of an audience."

"I hardly think you can force me to relax, Akko," Diana said sternly.

"Did you hear that, Akko?" Barbara said with a smirk. "Sounds like your rival is  _challenging_  you."

Akko's eyes lit up with the fire of competition. "Brace yourself, Diana. You're about to get the heck relaxed out of you."

Diana didn't realize that Akko wasn't kidding when she told her to brace herself. Without another word, Akko tackled Diana onto her bed. It happened so quickly she didn't have time to react.

"Akko!" Diana blushed. She was overwhelmed by the sensations of her energetic,  _attractive_  friend holding her down. She was, as it were, far from relaxed. "Hannah, Barbara! May I have a little help!?"

"Oh, I don't know," Hannah said, smirking. "I think I'd rather help Akko. How about you, Barbara?"

"Absolutely." Barbara matched her partner's expression. "Diana  _does_  need her relaxation, and as her roommates we need to do what's best for her."

Hannah and Barbara stepped toward the bed, climbed onto it, and crept closer to the embracing pair.

"Girls, you can't be serious!" Diana's blush intensified as they approached. She struggled against Akko to no avail. "Surely you're not going to join in Akko's shenanigans!"

Hannah shrugged. "I mean, who at Luna Nova hasn't wished for a little Cavendish cuddle action?" She snuggled up to Diana's left, taking custody of Diana's arm from Akko.

"Are you going to cuddle me too?" Akko asked. "I don't want to be left out!"

"Naturally," Barbara said. She took Diana's right side and restrained Diana's other arm. She stroked Akko's hair. "If we excluded you from our cuddles, we'd be neglecting our duties as hostesses."

"Yay!" No longer needing to pin Diana all by herself, Akko relaxed herself onto Diana, resting her head on her dear friend's chest. She paid no mind to Diana's racing heartbeat. "You can't get away now, Diana, so you might as well enjoy it."

Diana was furious with the three of them, but she couldn't deny how comfortable it was to be embraced by her closest friends. She stopped struggling and accepted her fate. "I suppose having a rest day wouldn't hurt..."

"Yay! We win!" Akko nuzzled her face against Diana's chest, eliciting a squeak from her captive.

"Now, that won't relax her," Hannah said. She interlaced her fingers with Diana's and kissed the back of her hand. "This is more like it."

"You two are so indelicate," Barbara said. She rested her head on Diana's shoulder and ran a hand through one of Diana's immaculate tresses.

"Girls!" Diana whimpered. "Aren't you going a little too far?"

"We're just showing our appreciation as your biggest fans." Hannah cooed.

"What!" Akko's voice was muffled by Diana's chest. "I'm not her fan! I'm her rival!"

"Keep telling yourself that, dork," Barbara murmured.


	12. Four Girls and a Balloon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Diana and Hannah travel on a Steam Age dirigible and meet some interesting characters...
> 
> Pairings: Diakko & Hamanda
> 
> Prompt: Balloons

"You're going to love this, Diana," Hannah said. "There's no finer way to travel."

"I prefer to travel by horse-drawn carriage or by broom," Diana said stiffly. "I don't trust these modern contraptions."

"Queen Victoria herself makes foreign visits by dirigible. Are you saying you're better than the queen?"

"I would never be so presumptuous. But her Majesty doesn't have the option of traveling by leyline..."

Hannah chuckled. "You're such a traditionalist."

Diana and Hannah were travelling from the Cavendish estate to one of Barbara's vacation homes. After a week of pleading and insisting, Hannah managed to persuade Diana to make their journey by dirigible, the transportation method favoured by the nobility of the Steam Age. Diana was unconcerned with matters of status, but she couldn't deny that she was cautiously curious.

Twenty minutes later, they had boarded and their luggage was stowed away as they watched the ground drift away from them. They made their way to their cabin and settled in. Hannah wasted no time ordering refreshments.

Not long afterward, the door opened and the waitress walked in, a girl with red eyes and shoulder-length brown hair in a bizarre half-ponytail that bounced as she moved. She carried in a teapot and a plate of gourmet biscuits on a silver tray, balanced on one hand. "Tea's here, your ladyships," she said.

"Thank you very much," Diana said. She waited as the girl poured tea into each of the two cups and took one for herself. Hannah followed suit.

"Are your ladyships enjoying your journey so far?" the girl asked cheerily.

"It's up to my standards so far," Hannah replied.

"I'm holding out judgement," Diana said.

"Oh, well. You can't win 'em all." The girl shrugged and snatched a biscuit off the plate and downed it quickly.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Hannah demanded.

"What? It's not like you're going to eat it anyway? Twenty flights so far and none of you toffs have ever finished a single plate you've ordered." She popped another biscuit in her mouth and talked around it. "I mean, if you're not going to eat it, I might as well."

"I can't believe I'm sharing the same dirigible as an urchin such as yourself," Hannah snarked.

"If there wasn't 'urchins' like me here, who would serve posh people like you the food you don't eat?"

"How dare you! I'm going to speak to your supervisor and have your wages slashed."

Diana held up a hand, silencing her companion. "That won't be necessary." She addressed the girl. "Miss, would you please put the tray down and leave us to our own devices?"

"Sure thing, your ladyship." The girl placed the tray on a table. She did a little bow for Diana and blew a raspberry at Hannah before vanishing out the cabin door.

"Why I never," Hannah said, barely restraining her outrage. "The nerve of that girl."

"Indeed." Diana took a sip of her tea. "By the way, are you going to have a have a biscuit?" The plate, piled high with biscuits, was far from being emptied.

Hannah eyed the plate and sheepishly took a biscuit. "I was going to have one anyway," she mumbled.

Diana took a biscuit as well. The pile didn't look any smaller. Just as the girl had said, there was no way the two of them would be able to clear the tray on their own. Diana smiled, simultaneously galled at the girl and impressed with how unconcerned she seemed with the nobility.

They finished their tea and relaxed. Diana wasn't fond of relaxation. It made her anxious. Knowing that she could actually achieve something if she applied herself to some task made Diana practically twitch. In fact...

"You're shivering." Hannah frowned. "Is the cabin too cold?"

"I'll be fine," Diana said through chattering teeth. "It's just a little chilly..."

Hannah immediately started fussing over her. "You know better than that. With your frail constitution, you need to stay warm."

"Really, I'm fine—"

Diana was cut off by a scarf being tightly wrapped around her neck and face.

"There must be something wrong with the heating system," Hannah said, buzzing around the cabin like a confused housefly as she searched for more clothing with which to bundle up her companion. "Stay here, and I'll find someone to fix it. Goodness knows we're paying enough for proper service."

She was gone before Diana could remind her that the problem could be alleviated with a simple heating spell. Apparently Hannah had gotten so accustomed to modern conveniences that she'd forgotten she was, in fact, a witch.

Diana performed such a heating spell, sending a wave of warmth through her clothes and over her skin. She felt more comfortable, but she would only get cold again if she sat still. Better for her to warm herself by moving around through the airship. And so she did, leaving in search of something to occupy her.

Elsewhere, Hannah stalked through the dirigible's corridors searching for someone to complain to. She peered through a door and spotted her quarry hunched over some steam-powered contraption. Hopefully the device was related to the heating system, for his sake.

Ordinarily, Hannah wouldn't condescend to speak to someone wearing an (utterly unfashionable) engineer's overalls and undershirt. That didn't stop her from admiring the rippling shoulder muscles on display. And those toned arms made strong by handling heavy tools. She imagined him holding her as she ran her fingers through that orange hair...

Hannah swallowed thickly, then chastised herself for getting distracted when Diana was in need. She banished all improper thoughts about the engineer before her and addressed him.

"Boy! My cabin's heating system isn't functional. My companion has a weak constitution and this problem must be fixed immediately."

"Ex-fucking-'scuse me?" The engineer turned around and revealed that she was, in fact, a girl. "The fuck did you call me?"

 _Damnation,_  Hannah thought.  _She's a girl._

"What!?" The engineer girl glared at her. "Is there something on my face?"

"Um, well..." Hannah bit her lip. "There's a little oil on your face..."  _And a whole lot of hotness under that oil._

"Oh, let me get that." The girl waved her wand, and the amount of oil on her face doubled. "I prefer to have  _a lot_  of oil on my face." She grinned impishly.

Hannah found herself incapacitated. She was blown away by the engineer's abrasiveness and blatant disregard for their gap in status. Furthermore, she was incredibly flustered by this girl's physique and attitude, and this confused Hannah terribly. Her heart pounded, her pale skin flushed red, and the fact that engineer was a girl did nothing to shut down her scandalous fantasies.

"Hello?" The engineer waved her hand in Hannah's face. "You were yelling at me about something?"

 _That's right!_  Hannah thought.  _I can't let Diana down._  "My cabin. The heating system isn't functioning. It's imperative that someone fix it immediately. My companion—"

"Has a weak constitution, yeah, yeah. What's the cabin number?" The engineer groaned when Hannah told her. "I thought Cons fixed that one last week? Airships are a nightmare to work on, lemme tell ya."

"All I want you to tell me is that you've fixed it properly this time."

"Don't get your petticoats in a twist," the engineer said. "I'll have you all warm in no time, sweetheart."

Hannah's face grew so hot she thought she might faint. "S-s-sweetheart!?"

"Whoa, you could power the engines for the rest of the voyage with steam like that." The engineer girl laughed as she headed off to Hannah and Diana's cabin, Hannah trailing behind her helplessly.

Meanwhile in one of the viewing rooms, Diana had stumbled onto something of interest. Rather,  _someone_  of interest: the cheeky waitress from earlier.

The girl's attention was directed out the window, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet as she marvelled at the boundless nothing between the airship and the ground far below. Diana sidled up to her.

"Good afternoon."

The girl turned and smiled when she saw who was speaking. "Well, if it isn't her ladyship? Come to talk to the urchins?"

Diana smiled back. "Does the 'urchin' have a name, or should I refer to you as such?"

"My name's Atsuko Kagari. You can call me Akko!"

Etiquette dictated that Diana refer to her as "Miss Kagari," but she probably didn't know that. "Very well, Akko. I'd prefer that you address me as 'Diana' rather than 'your ladyship.'"

"Gosh!" Akko said. "Am I allowed to do that?"

Diana raised an eyebrow. "I wouldn't have thought you were concerned with what you're allowed to do?"

Akko puffed up her cheeks indignantly. "If you had to put up stinking rich types bossing you around all day, you'd mouth off too!"

Mentioning her domineering aunt might have refuted Akko, but Diana preferred to listen to the bubbly waitress talk.

"Putting up with toffs like—well, not like you—like your companion is a chore, but it's worth it just to get to fly."

"My companion said something similar," Diana noted.

"It gets me every time. Flying. I wish I could fly myself. I'm a witch, but I never got the hang of brooms."

Diana felt a curious urge to offer Akko a ride-along on her broom. But that would be improper.  _Actually, why would it be?_  Diana wondered. After all, there was nothing untoward about two girls sharing a broom.

"There's just something about being lighter than air, y'know?" Akko continued. "It's like, not even gravity is the boss of me. Flying is like, freedom."

"Dontcha think?"

Diana considered that, had she travelled by leyline, she would have arrived already. On the other hand, the flight offered her a reprieve from the constant hassle of being held to the expectations of being a Cavendish. And of course, one couldn't discount the importance of interesting company...

"I suppose."

Akko giggled. "Oh, I should probably pick up that tea tray if you're done with it."

"And eat any remaining biscuits, I presume?"

"So you admit I was right!"

Diana shook her head and they returned to Diana and Hannah's cabin. Their journey stopped short just in front of the door, caused by the sight of Hannah and the engineer girl leaving the cabin.

"I trust that was hot enough for you?" the engineer girl asked.

"If I'm not satisfied later, you can be assured that I will find you and force you to fix the problem," Hannah replied.

Akko made a strangled sound and pointed accusingly at the engineer. "Amanda! You can't be doing that with the passengers! You've been warned about that!"

"Warned about what?" Hannah asked. "She was simply fixing the heating system. What else could she have..." Her voice trailed off and she blushed once again as the realization hit her. "How dare you insinuate—why I never!!!"

The engineer, Amanda apparently, cackled. "Like her delicate self could handle all of this." She waved a hand at her impressive physique. "That being said, pot calling the kettle black, Akko. I see you were bringing her companion back for a little high-altitude rendezvous."

"Wh-what!" Akko squeaked. "I would never!"

"You don't have to worry about that weak constitution of yours," Amanda said, winking at Diana. "Akko hasn't joined the mile-high club yet, but she's a gentle girl."

"Duly noted," Diana said neutrally. Her thoughts were anything but neutral.

Her aristocratic manners forgotten in the heat of the moment, Hannah smacked Amanda on the arm. "You ought to know better than to imply such things about a Cavendish!"

"But it's fine to say that kind of thing about you?" Amanda teased.

Hannah's blush did anything but die down. "Ugh! Diana, let's leave these urchins to their shamelessness!" She stormed back into their cabin.

"Well, I've got some shameless engineering to do," Amanda quipped. She walked off and tossed one final comment over her shoulder: "If you get cold again, it's Akko's turn to warm you up."

Akko practically vibrated with indignation. "Amanda! You can't just say that!" She breathed deeply to calm herself down before she spoke to Diana again. "Well, um, uh, I guess I better come back later, when your companion is a little less... testy."

Inspired to be daring by the scandalous conversation, Diana allowed herself a little tease of her own. "I eagerly await your return." Then she did something she'd never done before; she batted her eyelashes.

Akko blushed a deeper shade of red than even Hannah. "Um, well, uh, I'll be seeing you again!" She scampered out of sight, her half-ponytail bouncing erratically as she went.

Diana chuckled to herself.  _Hannah was right after all,_  she thought.  _Flying really is the only way to travel._


	13. Under the Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Barbara and Lotte try out a little Nightfall-inspired experiment and Barbara gets very nervous...
> 
> Pairing: Barbara x Lotte
> 
> Prompt: The Sun

Hannah's eyes welled with concern. "Barbara, you're my best friend."

"And you're mine," Barbara replied.

"You know that I love you?"

"I've never been more sure of anything."

"So you know I mean no offence when I ask you what the actual fuck you're doing?"

Barbara was crouching beneath a windowsill, practically flush with the wall. When Hannah found her, she was attempting to shimmy along the wall while moving as little as possible. She looked absolutely ridiculous, which is the sort of thing one expected from Akko, not someone as well-esteemed as Barbara Parker

"It's kind of a long story," Barbara said sheepishly.

"Is it three hundred and sixty-five volumes long?" Hannah asked pointedly.

Barbara blushed at her own predictability. "Me and Lotte—Lotte's in the bathroom right now—were talking about  _Nightfall_  and how difficult it must be to live as a vampire. Lotte pointed out that vampires burn in direct sunlight, so they wouldn't be safe even indoors because of windows, so—"

"So now you're sneaking around the castle doing stuff like this?" Hannah smirked. "That's a unique way of spending a Saturday. Well, who among us hasn't done something silly for a girl?"

"I-it's not l-like that!" Barbara had told Hannah time and time again that her feelings for Lotte were strictly platonic, but her best friend didn't believe it.

Barbara was spared another interrogation on the subject by Lotte's reappearance. "I'm back!" she said redundantly. "Oh, hello, Hannah!"

"Hi, Lotte," Hannah said. "How's the vampire role-playing?"

"It's going well!" Lotte adjusted her glasses. "We didn't anticipate how the time of day and location would affect things. The position of the sun wasn't so much of a problem at noon, but soon we're going to have a problem with the western windows in a while."

"Is that so?" Hannah grinned as she watched Barbara's admiring reaction at Lotte's analysis. As Hannah kept reminding her, Barbara was extremely attracted to intelligence, which Lotte had in droves. "Well, I'll leave you to it." At Barbara she mouthed, "Go get her!"

"It's not like that," Barbara muttered as Hannah walked away.

"What's that?" Lotte asked?

"N-nothing! You've had your break, now get down here and suffer with me. I think I'm getting a cramp."

Without further ado, Barbara and Lotte resumed their project. They sidled along walls and crept under windows to avoid the sun's deadly rays (deadly to vampires, anyway), hurriedly making notes on their experiences and the logistics of time and direction.

"No wonder vampires prefer to sleep during the day!" Lotte pressed herself against the wall, shuffling slowly to make sure her feet didn't touch the sunlight coming through the window opposite.

"And you wondered why I've always said I wouldn't want to be a vampire," Barbara said. Although she wouldn't want to go to such lengths to avoid sunlight, she didn't mind having to stick so close to Lotte. Then as Lotte edged along the wall, her hand brushed against Barbara's. She expected Lotte to pull her hand away, but the bespectacled girl seemed content to have their hands touching. When she realized this, Barbara shivered involuntarily.

"Is something wrong?" Lotte asked.

"I, uh, I think that cramp I mentioned is acting up again," Barbara lied.

Lotte offered to take the lead so Barbara could relax. In reality, Barbara did no such thing. Her thoughts were a jumble, circling around Lotte and how unusually pleasant it was to be around her, to be close to her, to touch her…

Barbara tried not to think about it when they sidled up against the walls. She tried to maintain her distance, but Lotte kept drawing her in like a magnetic pole. Her hand wavered near Lotte's, fighting the urge to hold it. She didn't want to admit it, but maybe Hannah had a point, maybe she really did have feelings…

"This is going to be a tough one," Lotte said, pointing to a wide window and the stretch of orange sunlight reaching out from it. "We can do it, Barbara!"

Barbara nodded nervously. Not only would she have to crouch up next to Lotte, she'd be in that position for quite a while. She wasn't sure if she could handle it.

Sure enough, they weren't halfway through before Barbara started having trouble. She paused. She was extremely self-conscious of her body next to Lotte's. If only she could stay with Lotte like this instead of moving on, if only she had the courage to embrace Lotte. But she couldn't stay still, she needed to move forward. She stopped hesitating and followed Lotte along the wall.

Unfortunately, Lotte chose that time to take a small break. Barbara lurched forward and they collided. Her face smushed up against Lotte's neck. Specifically, her lips touched soft skin. Lotte let out a squeak and tumbled onto the floor in a flustered mess. Barbara fared better, managing to catch herself by propping herself up on her arms. She ended up kneeling over Lotte in a rather compromising situation—thank goodness most students at Luna Nova had better things to do on a Saturday afternoon than traverse the fourth floor corridor hallway.

"Are you alright?" Lotte asked.

Barbara couldn't help but laugh. "Why are you the one asking that? You're the one on the floor."

"You're wincing."

"The sun's reflecting off your glasses."

"Oh. I'm glad you're okay." Lotte smiled.

Barbara looked down at her and smiled back. She could've averted her eyes to avoid the sun's glare, but she was reluctant to stop looking at Lotte. Barbara couldn't tell which was brighter, the sun reflecting off Lotte's glasses, or her crush's smile.


	14. White Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which various girls give or receive gifts on White Day (idk I'm lazy rn)
> 
> Pairings: Diakko, Hamanbarb, Sulotte (minor)
> 
> Prompt: White

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shut up I meant to have it out on White Day but life's a bitch xD

For perhaps the first time since she was a child, Diana had bitten off more than she could chew. After Akko had introduced the concept of White Day to Luna Nova, the student body had informally adopted the tradition. This year would be the inaugural celebration of the holiday. Diana had anticipated it might be difficult for her, but she hadn't realized the sheer volume of work ahead of her.

On previous Valentine's Days, Diana had received chocolate from her numerous fans and admirers, and this year was no different. However, this year she was faced with the challenge of listing every classmate who gave her chocolate (a novella, to be sure) and make a gift in return. She had been wise enough to start the process a week early, but even then the task was growing to be too much for her—she hadn't taken into account how many others would want to use the kitchens.

It was now past curfew and Diana could see that she wouldn't finish all the gifts in time for the morning of White Day. She needed more time. She needed…

"Need any help?"

Akko skip over to Diana and the growing mess of chocolate surrounding her.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Diana asked.

Akko pouted. "I could ask you the same thing! You've been working your butt off all week! What's that about?"

Diana scowled, then quickly corrected her expression. "It's your fault we're celebrating this holiday in the first place. My obligation to return all those gifts is on you." Perhaps that wasn't fair, but Diana was testy at the moment.

"Don't be a sourpuss," Akko said. "I meant why are you doing all this work alone? You could've asked me to help, you know! I've made tons of chocolate for people before. Figured you would've picked that up after receiving the chocolate I made you a month ago…"

Diana stopped listening halfway through. "You've given chocolate to lots of people?"

"Yup!" Akko grinned. "I always gave my friends  _giri-choco!_  I got really good at making it too! And that's why you should let me help you! Even Amanda wasn't too proud not to ask for my help!"

On one hand, Diana was reluctant to ask for help, particularly for something like this. On the other hand, if Akko helped, she might get some sleep tonight…

"Very well," Diana said. "The recipe is over there." She pointed toward a cookbook.

There was a second cookbook open next to it. Akko took a peek. "Ooh? What's this?"

Diana snatched it away from her. " _That_  is none of your concern. It's a… separate project. Please follow the recipe in the book in front of you and package the chocolates as so." She pointed to the pile of completed gifts.

Akko gave her a salute and the two of them got to work. The usually clumsy witch didn't require any assistance, and in fact she was more efficient than Diana. Experience certainly paid off. Diana was glad to have Akko helping. For more reasons than one. In her giddiness, she even indulged herself by subtly brushing up against Akko under the guise of not having enough workspace.

Soon, much sooner than she would've anticipated, the task was completed. Well, there was one more part left…

"I can't thank you enough, Akko," Diana said.

"Letting me eat the leftovers would be enough," Akko replied.

Diana chuckled. "I think the 'leftovers' are all over your face." Akko had been "sampling" the chocolate as she made it.

"You ought to be off to bed, Akko. I'll be along shortly. There's one more thing I have to do."

"What? I can't leave you hanging!" Akko protested. She would've continued, had Diana not interrupted her.

"None of that, Akko. Thanks to you, I'll have a few hours of sleep tonight. Besides, my remaining task does not require your experience as a chocolatier."

"Okay then, but don't come crying to me in the morning when you're all tired!"

Akko grumbled to herself as she left the kitchen and returned to her room. She had been more than happy to help Diana, and she was a little bummed out that Diana was apparently hiding something from her. If she had put two and two together, she would've realized she had nothing to worry about…

On the morning of White Day, Diana arrived to class with a veritable hoard of chocolate to redistribute to other students. She looked sleep-deprived, but she didn't let that interfere with her task. In fact she was so busy, she didn't even have time for her friends.

"Jealous?" Sucy said with a cackle.

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous?" Akko stabbed at her lunch with murderous intent.

"I'd be jealous too if my crush was running around giving other people chocolate," Sucy teased. "Maybe she forgot all about the chocolate you gave her."

Lotte frowned at Sucy's remark. "I doubt she forgot about it. It was a life-sized chocolate Shiny Rod."

"The only chocolate she would forget is yours," Akko retorted. Everyone  _wanted_  to forget the chocolates Sucy made. Who puts actual truffle mushrooms in chocolate truffles?

"Why wouldn't someone like Sucy's chocolates?" Lotte asked. "They were delicious."

"Well of course she wouldn't poison her own girlfriend…"

"I added extra love to yours," Sucy told Lotte, then immediately hid her blush behind her hair. Lotte blushed as well but made no effort to hide it.

"Ugh, go flirt somewhere else." Akko wasn't bitter. Nope, not at all. Not bitter like the delectable dark chocolate she'd helped Diana make and hadn't received her share of yet. Nope, not bitter at all.

Even after classes, Diana was still hunting people down to give them chocolate. Hannah and Barbara sympathetically patted a forlorn Akko on the back before going off to their room. They rolled their eyes as they entered the room and saw the lovingly packaged gift atop the desk on the far side of the room.

"The least she could do was give Akko her gift first," Hannah said as she sat down on her bed. "The poor girl's going to think she's being left out."

"Maybe Diana's saving the best for last," Barbara reasoned, taking a seat on her own bed. "Though if I were in Akko's shoes, I'd be feeling down too."

An unpleasant vibe passed between the two girls. They actually were in Akko's shoes. Well, the object of their dismay had already distributed return gifts to her fans, and they had no reason they were in for a knockout of a present like Akko was. They hadn't expected much of a return from their intended when they gave her chocolate on Valentine's Day. It was more of a shot in the dark. It would've been nice if their affections had been returned…

There was a knock at the door.

"That must be Diana, back for Akko's present," Hannah said, getting up from the bed to answer the door. No doubt Diana's hands were full and she couldn't open the door herself.

"Or maybe it's Akko," Barbara said. "Maybe she's come to give Diana a piece of her mind."

They were both wrong. When Hannah opened the door, the girl on the other side was none other than Amanda O'Neill.

"Uh, hey losers."

"Amanda!?" Hannah and Barbara squeaked in unison. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, uh, y'know." Amanda shuffled nervously. She might've twiddled her thumbs if her hands weren't hidden behind her back. "Stuff."

"Well, are you here to see Diana, or one of us?" Hannah asked.

"I'm here to see… both of you…"

"Both of us?" Barbara asked. "Why?" Could it be…?

Amanda brought her hands out from behind her back. Each held a box with pink wrapping paper.

Hannah's eyes widened. "Is that—"

"D-don't get the wrong idea." Amanda shoved one box into Hannah's hands and tossed the other to Barbara. "It's only because of Akko and her stupid holiday…"

Barbara had already opened her gift. "Are these homemade chocolates? Gosh. Ours were from a store. A good one, mind you. But still…"

"That's—" Amanda blushed. "I didn't want to waste wild amounts of money on your gifts, that's why."

"So instead you lovingly crafted your own gifts for us," Hannah remarked. She held up one of the chocolates. "And look, they're shaped like little hearts. I didn't know you were so romantic, Amanda."

"Th-that was Akko's idea!" Amanda blurted out. It was no such thing. "I j-just went along with it."

"I see," Barbara said, smirking. "Good thing we didn't get the wrong idea. We might've thought you liked us back."

"What!? Me!? Of course not! Why would I like you…" Amanda paused, her brain processing what she'd just heard. "What do you mean like you  _back_?"

"By the nines, you're clueless," Hannah said, smiling and rolling her eyes at her crush. She quickly shut the door and practically floated over to Barbara's bed.

"What a shame," Barbara said. "If only you liked us the way we like you." She touched one of Amanda's chocolate hearts to her lips. "Goodness knows what might've happened if you did…"

Hannah mimicked Barbara's action with another chocolate heart, leaning against her soul mate as she did. "I guess we'll have to make do on our own."

Even Amanda wasn't clueless enough to grasp the implications of what they were saying. "Hey, not so fast. I never said I  _didn't_  like you…"

"Then get over here," Hannah purred.

"Let's see if you taste as good as your chocolate," Barbara said.

The three of them proceeded to discover some very creative things to do with chocolate, one of which left Diana scandalized when she walked in on them on her way to retrieve Akko's gift.

Diana's face was still flushed when she tracked down Akko alone in her room.

"Diana, why are you blushing?"

She shivered. "I witnessed something not meant for mortal eyes."

"Oh, okay then." Akko wondered if Diana was blushing because of a gift she'd given someone.  _Not that I care,_  Akko thought.  _Who cares what stupid Diana does?_  Stupid Akko did, of course.

"I…" Diana fidgeted. She bit her lip and appeared to be mulling over what she was about to say.

Her behaviour caught Akko's ever elusive attention.  _Since when is Diana Cavendish nervous? Did I do something wrong. Oh crap, did I mess up the chocolate last night or something!?_

"I…" Diana began again and stopped. She muttered something under her breath and continued. "As you know, White Day is when one gives a gift in return for a gift received one month prior on Valentines Day."

"Right." Akko didn't understand why Diana was being so formal, or why she was explaining White Day to a Japanese person.

"Well…" Diana cleared her throat. "You gave me a gift on Valentines Day, and so I am making good on my obligation to give you a gift in return. Not that I see it as an obligation!" she added hurriedly.

"Yay!" Akko could barely contain her joy. "You didn't forget me after all!"

"Of course I didn't forget!" Diana looked aghast at the implication. "After you went up to bed, I made your present. I wanted it to be special..." She handed Akko her gift and watched the recipient tear into the wrapping paper.

"It's a strawberry-rhubarb pie," Diana said redundantly when it was revealed. "I was certain a gift of chocolate couldn't measure up to what you'd given me, so I chose another route. Additionally, today is Pi Day…"

Akko practically vibrated. "I love pie!" She placed it carefully on her bed and leapt at Diana for a hug. "Oh my god, I'm so happy I could kiss you!"

Diana froze momentarily, then melted as she put her arms around Akko. She whispered into her ear, "I believe that would be an acceptable course of action under the circumstances."

Akko giggled. "In that case, the pie can wait!"


	15. Sharing an Umbrella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, during an outing in the town, Diana and Lotte are forced to share an umbrella

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm only still doing this "February" thing out of stubbornness lol  
> Thank y'all for still reading this nonsense

"Thank you for coming into town with me today, Diana," Lotte said as they exited the bookstore. "You really didn't have to. It's raining and all…"

"Think nothing of it," Diana said. "I enjoy your company."

Lotte blushed and resisted the urge to cover her face with her bag. Diana turned her face away to conceal her own embarrassed smile.

It had started with a mutual frustration for their classmates' antics. Their academic obligations weighed heavier on them in their second year, but even Hannah and Barbara were goofing off. Diana offered to let Lotte use her dorm room as a quiet place to study. At first Lotte only took advantage of the offer when her own dorm room got too loud. As the year wore on, Lotte showed up more and more often. Soon she spent more time awake there than Hannah and Barbara.

Diana's initial offer was from one classmate to another. She hadn't known Lotte that well, but she admired the quiet girl's diligence. As she warmed up to Lotte, she found herself inventing reasons for Lotte to stay longer. At first she did so by making tea, but by the end she was bold enough to simply ask. It occurred to Diana that what she wanted was to ask Lotte on a date.

Their first date was a picnic on the school grounds. Their second date saw Lotte on Diana's arm at Andrew's birthday party. Diana wasn't sure if their current outing constituted a third date or not. The way Hannah and Barbara talked, such things mattered. They harassed her about the details of her courtship as if it were the most important thing in the world.

"If your third date goes well, ask her to be your girlfriend," Hannah told her. "I know you're serious about her."

"You two are so cute," Barbara said. She highly approved of her idol dating her newest friend. "It would be a crime if you two don't get together."

When Diana had learned that Lotte was making a trip into town to buy books, she jumped at the chance to accompany her. What was a little rain when love was in play?

A torrential downpour, however, was a slight damper on the mood.

"As expected of English weather," Diana said. "Thank goodness it wasn't this bad on our way over."

"We can enchant our umbrellas to make sure they can take it," Lotte said brightly. She opened her umbrella and cast a charm to make sure she wouldn't get wet from the storm.

Diana did the same. Rather, she would've if she could.

"My umbrella won't open."

Lotte frowned. "Is it stuck?" She watched Diana try to open the umbrella without forcing it and potentially breaking it. "I can ask the spirits what's wrong."

"I'd appreciate that."

" _Turuto Tarumare!"_

Tiny, bright spirits diffused from the umbrella and waved at Lotte. She asked them what was wrong and was confused by their response.

"What's wrong? What do you mean, you won't open it?" Lotte blushed profusely at the spirits' chatter.

"Is there something wrong with it?" Diana asked.

"Um, well." It would be accurate that there was something wrong with their friends. Hannah and Barbara had taken initiative and bribed the spirits in Diana's umbrella not to open on the way back. Their intent was obvious. The budding couple would be forced to share an umbrella. Lotte had to admire their ingenuity.

"Lotte?"

"I c-can't get it to open right now," Lotte said. "W-we'll have to…"

"We'll have to what?"

"We'll have to share mine."

Lotte held her umbrella over her head and inched closer to Diana. She couldn't see her face, but Diana could tell Lotte was blushing. As of late, Diana had found Lotte's shy side to be incredibly endearing. And encouraging.

"Very well then," Diana said, not attempting to conceal the excitement in her voice.

They stepped out into the rain and started walking back. Lotte had to keep the skip in her step in check to make sure she didn't leave Diana behind.

Diana's eyes angled downward, lingering on Lotte's hand. Surely the atmosphere (the mood, not the cold front) was right for it? Then again, it wasn't an official date. But Lotte must have known by then that Diana was interested in her. Holding her hand was the proper course of action, was it not?

Perhaps that would be too daring, too early in the relationship. Diana tilted her too daring eyes back up where they came to rest on Lotte's face…

Before the urge could vanish along with her confidence, Diana leaned in and kissed Lotte on the cheek.

"Oh!" Lotte gasped. She was so surprised she stopped walking. Diana had to stop quickly to avoid stepping into the rain. "Gosh."

"Was that alright?"

"It was… very alright."

Very alright sounded very good to Diana. Good enough for her to say what was on her mind. "I… don't suppose you would do me the pleasure of being my girlfriend?"

"Of course! I mean, yes. I want to be your girlfriend." Lotte slid her hand into Diana's and they resumed their stride.

"Hannah and Barbara are going to want to know everything when we get back," Lotte added.

"Oh, I don't see any reason why we should tell them immediately," Diana said slyly. "I assume they've pestered you as often as they did me. They can wait a little longer to know."

Lotte giggled. "No arguments here."


	16. Blue in the Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hannah and Barbara do their damnedest to warm up a freezing Diana.
> 
> Prompt: Blue
> 
> Pairing: Diana x Hannah x Barbara

"I used to think the esteemed Diana Cavendish was a genius," Hannah said. "Little did I know how much of a buffoon you were."

"I h-h-hardly th-think that's n-n-necessary," Diana said, teeth chattering.

"No, it's perfectly necessary for us to berate you like this," Barbara argued. "It's not like your common sense will do it for you."

"I th-think I pr-preferred when you were s-s-sycophants and a-a-always agreed with m-me."

Hannah and Barbara sat on either side of Diana on her bed, fussing over their frozen friend. They had been worried when Diana was later than usual returning from her night patrol shift. When she stumbled through the door, Diana's cloak and hair were caked with snow. She was blue in the face and shivering something awful.

"Wh-what are y-y-you g-girls st-still doing up?" Diana asked.

Her bathrobe-clad team mates leapt from the ends of their beds were they'd been anxiously waiting and practically tackled her. Ignoring her protests, they shucked off her cloak and conjured up a towel to dry her off.

"What the hell were you doing outside in a blizzard?" Hannah nearly shouted.

"M-making sure n-no one was o-outside," Diana said.

"How long were you out there?" Barbara asked. "An hour?"

"I w-wanted to be th-thorough."

"Unbelievable," the best friends said in unison. Hannah and Barbara nodded to each other and dragged Diana to her part of the room. With shamelessness unbefitting of their station, they stripped Diana of her wet clothes and wrapped her up in a bathrobe. Then a few more for extra measure. They would've let Diana do it herself to spare her the embarrassment, but her fingers were too cold for such a task. And the embarrassment worked as a punishment for her foolishness. They bundled her up in bed and sat down next to her.

"I've n-never been so embarrassed," Diana said. Despite her statement, her face was red from the chill—not embarrassment—and it faded as she warmed.

"Surely that wasn't as embarrassing as the time Akko walked in on you while you were in the shower?" Hannah suppressed a giggle.

"Arguably," Diana conceded. She shook her head. "Imagine how scandalized poor Akko must've been. I hope she doesn't think any less of me."

"That's what you're worried about?" Barbara asked. "Don't worry, I'm sure she's too busy being envious of your proportions to be scandalized." She laughed at the idea of Akko trying to rival Diana in  _that_  area.

Diana frowned. "I don't think there's anything remarkable about my… proportions."

"Well, that's one thing we sycophants won't agree with you about," Hannah said. "We saw everything just now."

"I mean, no wonder Akko had a nosebleed when she ran out of that bathroom," Barbara said.

Diana rolled her eyes. "If you're quite finished with your antics, I've warmed up enough on my own. You two can go back to your beds and get some sleep."

Hannah and Barbara snickered.

"What's so funny?"

"We'll get some sleep," Hannah began.

"But not in our own beds," Barbara finished.

"What are you—my word!" Diana was beside herself as Hannah and Barbara slipped under the covers and snuggled up to her.

"We need to make sure you're warm enough," Hannah said, her voice sweet in Diana's ear. "We wouldn't want our beloved Diana losing her little toes." She ran a bare leg against Diana's, brushing their feet together.

Diana spluttered. "I'm not sure that's the proper way to go about it!"

"We're just trying to get a little heat into those cheeks," Barbara cooed. She lightly kissed Diana's aforementioned cheeks. "My, how hot they look now."

"Blushing only makes one feel warm!" Diana protested. "The dilation of blood vessels makes one vulnerable to colder temperatures!"

Hannah responded with a throaty chuckle. "It's so cute when you talk like that."

"C-cute!?" Hannah and Barbara had praised Diana innumerable ways in the past, but "cute" was a new one. "I don't understand."

"We're sort of flirting with you, silly." Barbara giggled.

Diana's brain stalled. Nobody  _flirted_  with Diana Cavendish. Made overtures of courtship, yes, but nothing so casual as  _flirting_. The very idea of it flustered her. "I-I-I can hardly see wh-what is to be gained by that!"

"We were kind of hoping it would go somewhere," Hannah said. "Is there something wrong with trying to get with someone you admire?"

"Did you think everything we've said about you was hollow praise?" Barbara asked. "All those times we called you beautiful?"

Diana had in fact believed that. At first, she'd suspected that Hannah and Barbara were nothing more than sycophants, riding the coattails of the Cavendish heiress. She never would've expected that their devotion was indicative of attraction, that it wasn't her coattails they wanted to ride…

"It will take more than pretty words to achieve that," Diana huffed, attempting to mask her embarrassment.

"Is that a fact?" Hannah grinned. "Then what else should we do to make it happen?" She nuzzled at Diana's neck.

A shudder ran down Diana's front and settled in a very unsettling place. "I wasn't f-f-flirting back!"

"Are you sure?" Barbara asked, brushing back a loose lock of Diana's hair. "We'll back off if you say no, but aren't you even a little curious?"

Diana shivered for reasons which had nothing to do with the cold. "I'll admit to having an… intellectual curiosity." How could she not, the way Hannah and Barbara carried on with each other. She envied the intimacy they shared with one another.

"Then how about we give you a little practical demonstration?" Hannah toyed with the hem of Diana's bathrobe, her fingers ghosting over Diana's flushed skin.

"Come on, Diana," Barbara said. "Right now there's nothing between us but a couple of bathrobes." She snuggled closer. "Let us warm you up properly, Diana."

"Alright." Diana smiled awkwardly. "You two have been following me so long… I suppose it's only far that you take the lead for once."

"Is that a yes?" Hannah asked.

Diana had to keep herself from stuttering yet again. "Of course it is."

"A yes to what?" Barbara asked. "What do you want us to take the lead with?"

Diana nearly whimpered. "Are you going to make me say it?"

"We most certainly are," Hannah said. "It's best to be clear about these things."

"We wouldn't want to get the wrong idea," Barbara added.

"I want you both to take the lead with…" Diana bit her lip. "With teaching me about… intimacy." She was a little more than curious—she wanted to be touched. She wanted to be more than just admired from afar. "I… I don't want you girls to leave my bed tonight."

Hannah and Barbara exchanged excited glances. "That won't be a problem," Hannah said.

"We'll make sure you're so warmed up, you won't remember ever being cold," Barbara added.

Diana considered the next hour to be a  _very_  important educational experience. In fact, she enjoyed it so much that the morning after she dragged Hannah and Barbara back into her bed long enough that they were late to class. Their blushing as they made their excuses had little to do with their tardiness.


	17. Damned If You Do...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yuu receives a surprise visit from her senpai, who reveals a shocking secret and an even more shocking goal.
> 
> Pairing: Touko x Yuu
> 
> Prompt: Damned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slight departure from the usual: a Bloom Into You drabble!

Koito Yuu considered herself a go-with-the-flow kind of girl (too much of one, her friends would say), but some things could throw even Yuu off her rhythm. Such as the student council president lying sprawled out on her bed.

Yuu quickly slipped into her room and closed the door behind her. She stood a safe distance away from the other girl.

"Nanami-senpai, what are you doing here?

Touko stretched like a cat and made an accompanying purr. She sat up and you got a full look at her.

Touko was wearing… well, not a lot. She had what looked like a leather bikini top as well as a leather skirt, the shortest skirt Yuu had ever seen, followed by a pair of thigh high boots. The outfit was shocking, to be sure, but not as alarming as the wings that spanned out from her back, the horns rising from the crown of her head, and the tail that flicked back and forth behind her.

"This may come as a surprise," Touko said, "but I'm not human, Koito-san. This is my true form. I'm a succubus."

"I guess that explains the outfit." And no doubt the supernatural means by which she had infiltrated Yuu's bedroom undetected.

"You're taking this rather well," Touko said, a note of relief in her voice. "The uniform's standard issue," Touko explained. She squirmed beneath Yuu's unrelenting gaze. "I'd prefer something with a little more coverage, but…"

"Standard issue for who?"

"Standard issue for succubi," Touko said. "Did you think there weren't uniforms in Hell?"

Yuu chuckled. "It makes a little too much sense that you're the student council president from Hell."

Touko pouted at her. "Don't be a bully, Koito-san! I'm just doing my job!"

"Your job involves harassing school girls?" Yuu shot her a dubious look. "Is that why you got me to be your campaign manager? I would've thought Hell had better priorities."

Touko ignored her. "My job is to seduce girls," she said. "What else would a succubus do? I seduce girls and damn their souls to Hell for all eternity!"

"But why me?" Yuu asked. "Girls confess to you all the time. Seduce one of them. They'd love to have a half-naked student council president on their beds."

"I have to  _seduce_  them, Koito-san," Touko said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It doesn't count if they already want it. I have to actually do the seducing."

"And I'm the perfect target for seduction?" Yuu couldn't disagree that she'd be a challenge.

"Come over here, Koito-san," Touko said, inviting her over to her own bed with a curling finger. "Let me show you what a succubus can do."

Yuu didn't move. "You're going to have to work harder to convince me. Either that, or get off my bed so I can go to sleep."

Touko smiled seductively. "If you'd like, you can sleep with me—"

"Harder than that, succubus-senpai."

Touko's not so seductive smile faltered for a second. "Well, maybe I should show rather than tell." She used her arms to press her breasts together, deepening the valley of her already notable cleavage; the bikini top left little to the imagination. The effect was slightly diminished by the way she scrunched up her face in embarrassment.

By now Yuu's dreams of living a shoujo manga life had well and truly derailed into an ecchi manga train wreck. Yuu stared at the spectacle on display—it really was something. But she wasn't going to give her senpai the satisfaction of gaining ground.

Also she had her immortal soul to worry about. Apparently.

"Isn't it cold in that get-up?" Yuu asked. "You can put on a sweater if that would make you more comfortable."

"Thank you. I—wait a minute!" Touko flailed her arms in frustration, breaking her seductive pose. "Stop distracting me! I'm trying get you to have sex with me so I can claim your soul for the legions of darkness!"

"That's not a good sales pitch." Yuu raised an eyebrow. "For a succubus, you aren't very good at seduction."

Touko blushed. "Well, I've never actually… seduced anyone before. Not successfully."

"You mean you're a virgin?"

Touko's blush went from warm pink to crimson inferno. "Koito-san! You're too blunt!"

"That's another thing," Yuu said. "You're being awfully formal for someone trying to seduce me, calling me 'Koito-san.' Why not be a little more familiar?"

"Th-that seems improper!"

"Improper?" Yuu scoffed. "You broke into my bedroom and told me you were going to drag my soul to hell after having sex with me. We're past that now. Call me Yuu-chan."

"I… you…" Touko couldn't maintain eye contact with Yuu for more than a second. "Koito-sa—Yuu-sa—Yuu-chan."

"Now drop the honorific."

"I couldn't do that!" After half a minute withering under Yuu's stare, Touko relented. "Y-Y-Yuu…"

"Good job. How about 'Yuu-tan' now?"

"Koito-san!" You're being mean!" Touko buried her face in her hands and groaned. "I thought it would work this time! Lilith is going to rake me over the coals for this! Literally! I'm the only succubus my age who hasn't seduced someone yet. It's so embarrassing!"

A wave of sympathy washed over Yuu. Her senpai could be a pain, but it hurt to see her so miserable. She came over and sat down beside Touko. Without thinking, her hand moved up to pat Touko on the head. Her fingers brushed against the succubus's horns and she found herself intrigued by the texture, how pointy their tips were.

Touko made a contented noise and allowed Yuu to keep petting her.

Yuu's attention shifted to Touko's wings. They seemed so leathery and delicate, perhaps too delicate to touch. Instead her eyes moved farther down and followed the happy wagging of the succubus's tail…

She hadn't expected the squeak that slipped from Touko's mouth.

"Wow. Very erotic."

"Why did you touch my tail!?" Touko scrambled back on the bed until she came up against the wall. She held her tail in front of her, nursing it and guarding it from further scrutiny. "It's very sensitive!'

"It looked like it wanted attention," Yuu replied. She edged closer to Touko. "I thought you wanted me to touch you…"

"You can't just start whenever you want!" Touko objected. "You have to warn me first!"

Yuu chuckled. "I would've thought an upstanding succubus such as yourself would always be up for a little action."

"That's discrimination!"

Yuu shrugged. "You literally broke into my room to land your first."

"Urk! You've got me there. But my tail is a sensitive spot!"

Yuu leaned in. "So I can touch you anywhere but your tail?"

Steam erupted from Touko's ears. "I th-thought you d-didn't want to do that sort of lewd thing with me!?"

"Just a hypothetical," Yuu teased. "It's funny to see a succubus who's better at being seduced than doing the seducing."

"I am not!" Touko was back to pouting. "There's no way a human could seduce a succubus!"

Yuu smirked. "Bet." She reached out and stroked Touko's cheek.

Touko  _whimpered._

"Oh look, you lost already," Yuu said smugly.

"That's not fair! I wasn't ready!"

"Are you ever going to be ready?" Yuu asked.

"Let's try again! You won't get anything out of me this time!"

"Wow. You're just  _desperate_  for me to touch you again. No wonder you haven't seduced anyone yet. You're totally a bottom."

"I am not! Koito-saaaaaaaaan!"


	18. Better Safe Than Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Hannah x Amanda
> 
> Prompt: Safe

Hannah knocked on the Green Team's door for the twelfth time. Her knuckles were getting sore. "What's up with them? Are they ignoring me?" When she asked around, Lotte insisted that Amanda and her roommates hadn't left their room in a while. "Jennifer's tits." She swore again, this time at herself for using such an Amanda-like curse.

"Forget this," Hannah pulled out her wand and performed a lock-picking charm. The spell technically wasn't allowed at Luna Nova—and certainly never taught there—but Hannah had lost her patience. She was only here to give the girls an assignment they'd missed due to skipping class.

She broke into the dorm room, marched over to the desk, and tossed the assignment papers on the desk.

Something caught her eye on the way out: some sort of map laid out on Amanda's bed. She peered at it with suspicion. "What are they up to now?"

Before she could analyze it, the Green Team girls suddenly reappeared through Constanze's revolving bed. "Alright girls," Amanda said. "Let's get that—" She cut herself off when she noticed the interloper.

Amanda's eyes darted back and forth between Hannah and the plans lying on her bed. "Well, this is awkward."

"Up to no good again?" Hannah crossed her arms.

"Just a little game," Amanda said suavely. "You know what they say about all work and no play."

Jasminka made noises of approval and Constanze nodded.

Hannah raised an eyebrow. "And you're going to be playing that game in the kitchens?"

Amanda, Jasminka, and Constanze looked at each other in unison. "Grab her," Amanda said.

Less than a minute later, Hannah was lying on her side on Amanda's bunk, trussed up like a turkey and feeling like one to boot.

"Sorry for the poor hospitality," Amanda said. "But we can't afford to let you run off and tell Finnelan about our plans."

"You girls are so extra!" Hannah wondered if she could yell loud enough for someone to rescue her. Then again, the girls in the neighbouring room were probably used to the noise.

"Now, what to do with you?" Amanda asked. "It would be kinda sucky if we left you here alone. But we need all of us for this job."

"Don't worry," Jasminka said. "We can do it!"

Constanze nodded and pointed at the plans they'd drawn up.

"My plan was enough work?" Amanda smiled. "Damn, girls. If you're sure."

Jasminka and Constanze saluted her and departed for their mission.

Leaving tied-up Hannah alone with Amanda.

"It's a shame how this turned out," Amanda said. "I wish I could let you go, but better safe than sorry. We'll make it up to you by sharing some of the haul with you."

"I literally can't even, Amanda," Hannah said. "This is a new low for you."

"At least I didn't gag you," Amanda retorted from her perch on Constanze's bed.

"Oh, thank you so much," Hannah growled. "My fucking hero."

"Language, young lady," Amanda chided. Hannah couldn't believe it: she was being chided by Amanda O'Neill.

"Oh shut up," Hannah said. "You bring out the worst in me. Even a lady has her limits."

"And breaking into another lady's room is within those limits?" Amanda smirked.

"Puh-lease. I've met men who are more ladylike than you."

"Touché, but have you ever met a girl who was as gentlemanly as me?"

Hannah rolled her eyes, but her smile broke through. Even she couldn't deny that Amanda could be smooth as hell when she wanted to. She just didn't want to right now, clearly. "Fair enough, but you're losing points for holding me captive."

"What?" Amanda feigned confusion. "And here I thought ladies loved being kidnapped by rogues. It's in all the trashy romance novels, isn't it?"

"I don't know, Amanda." Hannah grinned. "Are you admitting to having read trashy romance novels?"

Amanda winked. "Only the lesbian ones."

"Oh really?" Hannah's stomach tingled in a not unpleasant way. "And what happens after the roguish butch kidnaps the femme lady?"

To Hannah's surprise, Amanda blushed. "Well, uh, y'know." She blushed a little bit harder.

 _Oh,_  Hannah thought.  _So the books are_ that _trashy._  "Scandalous. Just imagine how much trouble you'd get in if Finnelan knew you had that kind of material lying around."

The blood in Amanda's blushing cheeks drained from her face. "You wouldn't. And besides, it's not like Finnelan would be able to find it. I'm just as good at hiding things as I am taking things."

"Sounds like a challenge," Hannah retorted. "As soon as I'm untied I'm going to  _ruin_  you." Just because she was tied up, didn't mean she couldn't press her advantages.

Amanda ran a hand through her hair. "Yeesh. You're vindictive. And here I thought we were friends."

"Friends don't tie friends up," Hannah replied.  _Well,_  she thought, heart skipping a beat,  _maybe really close friends do._

"How else was I supposed to keep you from telling Finnelan about our plan?" Amanda asked.

"Oh, I don't know," Hannah said sarcastically. "Maybe  _ask me_. Or bribe me. Anything but hold me captive."

Hannah expected a snappy retort, but none was forthcoming. The flurry of expressions crossing Amanda's face suggested that she hadn't considered an alternative.

 _Maybe she thinks we're not close enough to do each other favours,_  Hannah realized.

At last, Amanda spoke. "Do I get points back if I untie you?"

"What?"

"Gentleman points. Do I get points back if I untie you?"

"Um. Sure." Hannah wasn't exactly going to refuse; she was starting to get sore from the position she was tied up in.

Amanda sat down on her bed and leaned over Hannah to untie her. The usually nimble fingers fumbled with the knots and brushed against Hannah's wrists and ankles, sending electric jolts up her limbs. She wasn't complaining. She didn't notice the ropes were off until Amanda leaned away.

Now that she was unrestrained, Hannah executed her three step plan. She sat up and leaned against Amanda. "Thanks, sweetie," she said and kissed Amanda on the cheek.

"Wh-wh-what!?!?" Amanda almost recoiled off the bed in sheer surprise.

It was exactly the opening Hannah was looking for; she shoved Amanda and knocked her to the floor. By the time Amanda realized what had happened, Hannah was on the far side of the room, snatching her wand off the desk where the Green Team had stowed it after detaining her.

"You've been wonderful company," Hannah quipped as she popped the window open with a spell. "We should do this again sometime." Having had the last word, she vaulted out the window.

But she'd underestimated how quickly Amanda would recover. Before Hannah could complete her escape she was hauled back through the window by an irate Amanda.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Amanda shouted. "We're on the fourth floor!"

Hannah winced. "First of all, you're literally screaming in my ear, so cut it out. Secondly, I was going to use metamorphosis magic, turn into an owl, and fly away. Pull an "Akko," as it were."

"Oh."

"You really thought I was going to jump out the window without a plan?" Hannah chuckled. "You're a pain, but I'm not  _that_  eager to get away from you."

In fact, Hannah wasn't in any hurry to slip away from Amanda's embrace. Once she pulled her back through the window, Amanda had hugged Hannah to herself tightly. It was probably to keep her from escaping, but Hannah entertained the thought that it was because Amanda was relieved that she was safe.

Hannah melted into the hug and let out a warm sigh. She reached up and squeezed Amanda's arms tighter against her.

The door opened. Jasminka and Constanze entered the room, arms laden with ill-gotten gains. Their eyes landed on Amanda and Hannah.

"Amanda's been seduced," Jasminka said.

Constanze's brows furrowed and her eyes silently judged Amanda.

"What!? No! I wasn't—" Amanda tried to disentangle herself from Hannah, but the snobbish girl refused to cooperate. "She was trying to get away! I had to! This is—I'm not hugging her!"

"You don't want to let me go just yet," Hannah teased. "If I get to Finnelan quickly enough, she can confiscate all your stolen snacks before you can eat them."

"That's that," Jasminka said. She chowed down on a fruit tart.

Constanze nodded in agreement as she nibbled on her own treat.

"You girls can't be serious!" Amanda groaned.

"You don't want me to get away again," Hannah said. "So we're gonna have to hug it out.  _Better safe than sorry,_  after all."

"For an alleged lady, you're kind of a brute."

"That's what you get for underestimating me," Hannah replied.


End file.
